Lethal Intent
by Jest Forlorn
Summary: Midoriya Izuki has a dark past, but finds a way to push past her oppresion by making friends. She vows for a new life, and she wishes to become a hero. The question is, can someone as villainous as her be one?
1. 1: Slimy Super-villain

**Disclaimer: I don't own Boku No Hero Academia or any of its characters!**

**AN: My 1st Fanfic, enjoy!**

**Chapter 1: Slimy Supervillain**

Soles scrape the cement, breath quickens, steady and fast pace. Even though she lacked the normal flow of oxygen, she easily pushed her way to the inner ring of the crowd. Her freckled face reflected the thrilling emotions of an adrenaline filled fight. Hopping eagerly, she pulled out her pencil and began writing a summary of the hero's fighting style.

That handsome man was known as Kamui Woods, and he was sending a seemingly unlimited supply of branches at a rampaging villain. The villain must've just debuted because Kamui was landing almost every attack. The Wood Hero was already preparing to use his special move. She grinned wider and muttered the attack's name as he shouted it,

"Preemptive Binding Lacquered Chain Prison!" She watched as his branches extended towards the villain in a swirling mass. The climactic scene was ripped to shreds as a humongous lady shot out of nowhere and kicked the villain to the ground. The kick sent the man flying into a pile of rubble, and it sent the spotlight over to the new hero who was calling herself Mt. Lady. The women seemed to have a gigantification quirk that allowed her to change size. Before she could stop herself, she muttered a question in curiosity.

"I wonder how she can navigate the city without crushing everything?" Her muttering didn't go unnoticed. A tall women inquired her with a few questions about her fangirlism, and she answered all of them with passionate ease. After finishing their conversation with an inspirational "I'm rooting for you!" Izuki stuffed her notebook away and sprinted for school. She was going to be late!

School zipped by in a flash and soon it was her last period. Entering the classroom, she slid into her normal seat. She glanced around and gave a consecutive groan. A group of bullies were eying her up. They would most certainly attack her after class, which meant another ruined day. The teacher's voice went to the back of her mind as she reviewed her notes from earlier and sketched a picture of Mt. lady in the margarin. Her attention shifted back to the front when she heard dreaded words,

"I hope you're all ready for the exams, we have a lot of work to do. Some of us more than others." He stared pointedly at Midoriya and let the rest of the students groan in irritation, but their teacher quickly ended it by slamming a stack of papers onto his desk while smiling.

"Just kidding! I know you all want to go into the hero courses!" The class cheered enthusiastically at his correct assumption. The teacher grinned widely and observed his pupils with pride.

"Yes, your quirks aren't bad. I expect many of you will exceed expectations." Several students gave dopey smirks of satisfaction, while others began showing off their quirks. Izuki's cheeks flushed in embarrassment. She prayed the teacher wouldn't single her out. The dread building in her chest grew when her rival put a well-muscled leg onto his desk and made a declaration,

"Yeah, all these extras are gonna become sidekicks at best, while I actually stand a chance of becoming a pro!" The teacher grimaced at his pupil's boldness.

"Ah Bakugou, you wanted to attend Yuuei, correct?" You certainly have the aptitude for it." Bakugou smirked in triumph. The teacher had fallen into an egoism trap. Izuki would die if this went on any longer.

"You'll see, I'll be the only one from this hellhole to be worth something. No one else can even compare!" Their teacher was obviously dying on the inside because his face was frozen in a cringe. In order to pull the show elsewhere he used his scapegoat and said the dreaded phrase.

"Midoriya, didn't you want to go to Yuuei too?" Everyone's heads whipped in her direction. Their eyes bore into her soul. She shrunk into her seat submissively while they all stared with overbearing looks and layered prejudices. The room suddenly erupted in laughter, and students began voicing their opinions obnoxiously.

"Does Yuuei even except quirkless trainees?"

"How does _she_ expect to pass the exam when they have such a low acceptance rate?"

The comments ended abruptly when Bakugou leaped up onto her desk angrily. She flew from her seat in fear, and backed into the wall. Bakugou gave her a menacing glare,

"They would _never_ except a loser like you Deku! Is this a desperate attempt to ruin my chances?!" The boy's red eyes were reflected through her green ones, achieving a kaleidoscope of emotions. He was daring her to contradict him. She shivered in fright and curled into the fetal position subconsciously.

"No! No! It, it's not l-like that Kacchan! I'm not trying to compete with you." Her stuttering only made things worse. Bakugou leaned in closer and growled,

"Stupid Deku! You could _never_ compete with me!" Lucky for her, the bell rang before Katsuki could take it further. The spiky-haired teen stepped away from her, temporarily sated, and went to collect his things. Still shaking, she picked herself up off the floor and retreated to her desk.

Once most of the students disappeared, she pulled out her notebook to continue her study. Her reading however, was cut short when the book was snatched from her hands by a trio of smirking teenagers. The thieves skimmed the cover with their criticizing eyes and laughed hysterically.

"Hero Analysis for the Future, really?" He handed the paper booklet to Bakugou who took it happily.

"Of course _Deku_ needs notes, otherwise she wouldn't even qualify as a person. Oh wait, she'll _never_ do that because she's a D-E-K-U!" He gave a short and evil laugh that sprayed spittle in her face. Izuki cringed and attempted to grab her notebook.

"Give it back!" She desperately swiped for it again and again, while he teasingly held it just out of her reach. She was on the verge of tears.

"Even _if _I gave it back you'd _never_ be a hero because you're just shitty Deku!" Sparks ignited on Bakugou's palms and his quirk enveloped her prized papers in a burst of flame. She screamed in shock and once again tried taking her notes, but her hands came back empty. Bakugou grinned wider at the sight of her agony, then he pulled back his arm and chucked the notebook out the window. Izuki watched helplessly as her prized possession faded into the distance. She felt rage engulf her for a split second, and she turned to face her bullies head on.

"I'll get you get for this Kacchan, you'll see!" Bakugou whipped his head in her direction.

"If you really want to be a hero so bad, why don't you jump off a bridge and hope for a quirk in your next life?" He finished the cruel statement and started to leave with his slightly shocked lackies following after him. Izuki opened her mouth to reply, but stopped when Bakugou turned back around with his palms up.

"Got something to say?" He tilted his head daringly and set a threatening explosion off in his hand. Her bones shook in fright and she looked down in compliance. There wasn't any reason to provoke him, as she couldn't defend herself if he tried attacking her with more than words. Satisfied with their threat, Bakugou and company finally left.

Izuki sighed in relief and morose. She'd probably never see that notebook again, maybe it was for the best. She waited a few minutes, to be safe, and then slowly shuffled out of school and onto a peaceful looking pathway. She needed to clear her head after that traumatic encounter.

She dragged her feet through the sand collected on the path, leaving a trail of grains in her wake. She was so distracted watching her feet, that she bumped into the concrete edge of a koi pond. She grunted as the pain sent shockwaves through her body. She stumbled forward, but managed to catch herself by gripping the affected leg securely. Wincing in pain, she regained her balance and resumed her walk. She stopped when she caught a glimpse of something in her peripheral vision. All of her hard work, reduced to fish food; she almost smiled at the irony.

She took her notebook from the water and dried it with the edge of her skirt. Pieces of the pages crumbled off from improper care. She admired the burnt cover and sighed.

"Maybe he's right, I'll never be a hero." She tucked the book safely under her arm and slowly made her way home. She kept her head lowered as tears pooled at the bottom of her eyelids. The drops splattered onto the tips of her swinging shoes. Busy watching the falling droplets, Izuki didn't hear the greasy slop of slime tailing her.

Her mouth was the first to be covered. She scraped desperately at the muck to no avail. She'd run out of air soon if she couldn't get this stupid thing off her. She tried once again to pull the coat of slime from her body with no success. Her oxygen was dangerously decreasing. Her arms fell to her side in defeat, she was useless, she was _Deku_.

A new fire lit her soul. There was no way she'd let this villain use _her_ body to terrorize the lives of the innocent. Going against the will of her body, she started struggling through the slime again. Why'd she have to be quirkless? She was completely useless. In a panic she sifted through every important memory she had in life. Her thoughts rested on her amazing mom, Inko. There were only a few times in Izuki's life were her mom had infractured. One of them came back to her.

…

Her four-year old self formed in her memory. She had her eyes wide and a gigantic grin on her face. She bounced from pent up energy and excitement.

"Mom, Play it again! Please, just one more time?" Izuki used her signature puppy-dog eyes and pouted, while silently begging for a yes. Her irresistible cuteness made it impossible to say no, so Inko pulled up her favorite video.

The screen showed a small group of villains huddled together to share their evil plans in whispers. The group called themselves Detrimental Fury and their ultimate goal had been to destroy anything and everything that "got in their way." They all had effective quirks with the easiest use being to reduce things to rubble, but their strength was nothing against Izuki's number one hero that would soon make their debut in this video.

Suddenly, a blur of tan dropped directly into the middle of the unsuspecting group. The villains were caught off guard when they saw their assailant in all her glory. Jaws reached the floor at the sight set before them. A sexy woman stood, smirking, at the men surrounding her. She wore what was equivalent to a bra and underwear. The R rated hero Midnight shifted her hair away from her excited eyes.

"See something you like?" One villain actually had the audacity to nod his approval. As soon as his head moved to make the non-verbal gesture, a long black whip smacked him across the nose. Midnight smiled sadistically, pleasure lighting her eyes.

"It's fun to take care of perverts like you!" Still smiling, she faced the rest of the crew, cracking her whip threateningly through the air. The next few moments were a mixture of martial arts, whipping, and using her quirk. In the span of a minute she had all the villains incapacitated in a heap. She smirked maliciously at the news anchor.

"This is Midnight telling you to stay safe kids!" She ended the cheesy message with a salute to the camera, and she hopped away over the rooftops.

The video stopped and Izuki squealed in appreciation of her hero. Nowadays, she wore a less revealing costume, but her tactics, inspiration, and skill remained her own. Midnight was one of the top ten heroes and there was nobody Izuki idolized more. The memory of her toddler self was broken by an even stronger one.

…

She raised her tiny feet as high as they went, watching as the leaves followed with graceful ease. They danced and spiraled around her in an autumn dress. She carelessly kicked a large pile of brownish leaves into the sky. Her hand went over her mouth to hide her pleasure.

"I'm sorry Kacchan, I should've been paying attention." The ash blonde boy turned with anger in his eyes.

"You better be, I don't wanna have to use my quirk on you!" Izuki halted her stroll, fearful of retaliation from her friend. Bakugou registered the look on her face and sighed,

"It's okay Uki-chan, I'd never use my quirk on you." He placed his hand reassuringly on her shoulder. Izuki looked into his joyous eyes and smiled.

"Someday I'll get a quirk as good as yours Kacchan." Her smile widened, stretching enough to overlap all of her features. The tiny Bakugou chuckled and smiled back.

"You know that's not possible Uki." He pulled back and lit up his palms teasingly. Izuki's small, childish self dissippated until she once again became fourteen.

…

The blob of slime still enmeshed her. She was still useless while on suppressants, at least that's what she believed. A single tear slid from her cheek and splattered onto the revolving slimeball. The villain snorted in disgust,

"Why don't you just give up already little girly? This won't hurt a bit." A slimy hand crawled over her face until she wore a mask of sickly green. Something clicked in her mind and her survival instincts went into overdrive. The binds holding her began to crack. No, no, no, no, NO! This wasn't possible! She was useless because she'd just taken her second dose of pills for the day. She shouldn't be able to access her quirk. She wasn't allowed to access her quirk.

Her confusion and panic worked against her, sending another resonation into her mental chains. Power flowed through the fracture until it coursed through her entirety. Her veins changed to a deep, black color to signify the use of her quirk. She finally unleashed her wrath onto the writhing slime. The villain screamed in agony and dropped her abruptly. The slime twitched painfully as its nerves slowly burnt out. It was left an empty shell upon the ground, cowering in the corner of an abandoned alley. Izuki watched the creature. Pity and regret filled her eyes.

"It's okay Mr. Slime, you won't be able to feel pain anymore. You won't be able to feel anything." She inched towards her fearful assailant to comfort him, only to remember he wouldn't be able to feel her comfort anyways. She quickly reassured herself by reviewing the fact that this dude was a villain. He hurt and manipulated people, so now she needed a way for her to turn him in to the police without them finding out about the illegal use of her quirk. Gathering confidence, she placed a hand on the slime and whispered a threat,

"I'm letting you go this time little slime, but if I see you again I'll take more than just your feelings. I'll have to fry your brain as well." She cringed internally at how real and scary her words just sounded. She didn't really know how to control her quirk, but she prayed the bluff and the slime's fear would be enough.

The blob shrunk away from her touch. He knew that the numbness he currently had was gifted by the young lady in front of him, so he took the threat seriously. His mix of fear and instinct forced him to comply. He bobbed his head in agreement. He'd do anything to get away from the monster crouching before him. Izuki swerved away from the cowardly villain and marched home.

**AN: **I know a lot is the same, but also different? I tried to make it my own while sticking to the BNHA plot structure. I will continue _trying_ to do that(while throwing some major differences in there every once and a while, it _is_ an AU after all). Thanks for reading!


	2. 2: Focused Fire

**Disclaimer: I don't own BNHA/MHA or any of its characters**

**AN: Umm...so here's this. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 2: Focused Fire**

Her mother greeted her as usual, with a restricted smile and wary affection. Izuki knew that look all too well. Inko probably had a bad day, and seeing her daughter come home dirty, bruised, and late didn't prove to cheer her up in the slightest. Well, at least her mom _attempted_ to support her and was there whenever Izuki really needed her to be; although, her mom had certain things that would provoke what Izuki dubbed the "Embarrassing Mode".

That's what she called it whenever her mom sparkled like a fangirl and tried critiquing every little detail in her daughter's life. It activated when a specific and seemingly random allotment of subjects were mentioned. An example of one of these trigger topics was school. When Izuki's mom heard anything about her schooling, she would praise her constantly and blab about how Izuki would soon be the top of the class and be able to get into college for free because she was brilliant. The Embarrassing Mode didn't have a cure quite yet.

Realizing she was still standing in the doorway, Izuki closed the door behind her and walked to the couch. Sitting down with a sigh, she faced her diligently working mom who was cooking in the kitchen.

"Explain yourself Izuki, what happened?" Izuki looked at her lap in order to avoid her mom's penetrating gaze.

"I did it again." She stared guiltily at her fidgeting legs. A pool of tears formed in her eyes. Her mom didn't look up from her work.

"It wasn't a student, was it?" Izuki wiped away her tears and shook her head.

"No, but the poor guy won't be able to feel anything for weeks." She sniffed loudly as more tears rolled down her cheeks. "He came out of nowhere mom. I thought he was going to kill me." Her mom moved to sit beside her, and hugged her protectively.

"It's okay Izuki, the guy was clearly up to no good; it was self defense. The police shouldn't give any trouble, even if they _do_ find out it was you." Inko brushed a strand of hair out of her daughter's face. She gently turned Izuki's chin up and wiped the the wetness from her features. Izuki looked at her mom with distant and sad eyes. Her green irises were wide and teary. To Inko they resembled the demeanor of a mistreated puppy.

Her heart broke for her child. Why was life so unfair? Why did the gods place the bad luck of ten men onto her poor, beautiful daughter? How could they expect a depressed mother, such as herself, to support a child and pretend nothing was wrong? Inko sighed deeply, causing her dark green hair to tickle the edge of her nose. She kissed Izuki's forehead and did the only thing she could. She brushed back Izuki's dirty hair and whispered in her ear.

"I'll love you always."

…

Izuki watched the news with a pained expression. The anchorwoman had just announced the worst possibility. The slime villain was _still_ at large. She looked down from the TV in shame. That monster was putting innocents in danger because she had been afraid of what the police would think of her. She wasn't qualified to be a hero. When that thought came to mind, thoughts of Kacchan resurrected, as did another old memory.

…

Five-year-old Izuki hung her head in shameful discouragement. What could she tell her friend? No one wanted to play with someone who took _suppressants_. It would put a target on her back as an uncontrollable delinquent. Everyone would immediately peg her as the naughty kid who'd done something terrible enough to warrant the use of control medicine. They weren't wrong.

She shook her head vigorously in an attempt to clear her mind, but it betrayed her and drifted to the occurrence of yesterday's doctor appointment. She had sat on an adjustable stool that had black padding and chrome colored bars. The doctor had sat directly across from her with a stack of quirk test results and X-rays. His eyes skimmed the sheets for the tenth time. He finally set the binder aside and gave Izuki a grim expression. Then, he turned to Inko and handed her the file. Her mother had read through it carefully and her face had transformed from emotionless to terrified in an instant. Inko had looked at the doctor for confirmation and he gave her a pitying nod.

"I'm sorry ma'am, it seems we'll have to keep your daughter under observation." He paused and sent Izuki a tight smile. "We have to make sure she doesn't lose control, or she could accidentally kill someone." He whispered the last part to emphasize the seriousness of the situation.

"For now I'd recommend suppressants and, if her quirk gets out of hand, she will unfortunately be required to be put into a dormant status." Inko gave a reluctant nod of understanding and peered at her child in concern. She patted Izuki's loose, curly hair to provide some source of comfort to the toddler.

"It'll be okay dear, daddy and I will take care of you." Izuki turned her face towards her mother and pouted. Her big green eyes pooled with the start of a dreary waterfall. The next day her younger self had trotted off to school, rehearsing several different ways to break the news to her best friend. Not paying attention, she inadvertently ran into the exact person she'd been seeking. She fell backward and landed on her bum. Giving a small grunt of pain, she slowly hauled herself up. A soft palm was offered to her. It belonged to none other than Bakugou Katsuki. She took his hand without hesitation and was pulled up beside him.

"Hey Izuki, didn't I tell you to watch where you're going?" Izuki's mouth gaped open, ready to answer his question, but her thoughts strayed back to her quirk results and only stuttering came out.

"Urgh, u-uh…..yeah." Kacchan looked back at her in confusion and took the opportunity to layer on more questions.

"Didn't you take the quirk test yesterday? What's your quirk? There's no way it's stronger than mine, right?" Izuki's eyes widened at his curiosity. She shook nervously as she tried piecing together a coherent sentence.

"Uh, yeah. I took my t-test." She let that answer hang in the air with all its brilliant vagueness. Kacchan looked at her like she was an idiot, and he seemed to be barely resisting the urge to facepalm.

"Well, what were your results then?" Izuki kicked a stick out of her path and debated on how she should answer. Should she just say it straight out? No, if the other kids found out that Kacchan was hanging around with an out-of-control freak like her, it'd ruin his reputation for being the best in the grade. She couldn't do that to her friend. What could she do? There was no way she would _ever_ tell him she was taking suppressants, being _quirkless_ would be better than that. That's it! She'd be quirkless! It'd explain why she seemed hesitant, and why she never used her quirk at school. It was perfect!

"Well, you see….the doctor, he s-said….._I'm quirkless_." She stuttered out the last words with an almost excited squeal, luckily Kacchan didn't seem to notice. He could only stare at her in shock.

"Q-quirkless?" He was completely dumbfounded, utterly stumped, outright confused. Kacchan observed her with his mouth gaping and his stunned features highlighted. "N-no way….I can't hang out with someone who's quirkless. There's no way." Izuki's face fell into a surprised frown and tears welled in her eyes. He would leave her; she was a freak.

…

Izuki was jolted from her memory by a hand swiping at her shoulder. Her mother gave her a piece of paper with a list of items on it.

"Since you're not busy, could you get these for dinner tonight?" Izuki skimmed over the sheet and nodded gratefully. This was exactly what she needed for a distraction. She gave her mother a half-hug and jogged out the door. Her breath stirred up dust clouds in the air. It allowed her to focus on the separating particles rather than her tower of guilt.

Her loosely tied ponytail bounced up and down with the rhythm of her feet. Escaping curls shrouded her vision in green. She absentmindedly made her way to the nearest store. Its motion-sensitive doors slid open upon her arrival. Her empty brain was suddenly filled with a chorus of high-pitched screaming. She halted between the doors and listened for more sounds. She tilted her head to listen closer and reassure herself that she wasn't going crazy.

The store's doors started to slide shut on her perfectly still frame. Another loud scream sent shivers up her spine, and her blood pumped faster. Acting on the adrenaline rush, she sprinted forward just as the doors descended on her. The hem of her pants got caught in their hold. Desperation and courage forced her to push onwards. She tore herself from the store's grasp, ripping her pants in the process. Adding an extra burst of speed, she ran directly into the panic.

Her eyes bulged at the sight that lay before her. Towering golden flames licked every building surrounding her. Some of the fire was hot enough to claw at the pavement. In the middle of the chaos sat the slime villain, devouring a meal of his own. His shiny green coat glistened manically against the bright heat. His newest victim writhed wildly within the mass of disgusting slob. She scanned the area in search of help. The heroes all stood uselessly along the sidelines. None of their quirks were _fit_ for fire.

She came back around to face the slime. A tuft of ash-blonde hair clashed horribly with its ugly green background. Clenching her fists in terror, she instinctively reacted to Kacchan's rage-filled irises. Three arms of flexible slime chased after her form. She cleverly dodged them all by alternating between jumping over and sliding under them. She closed in on the villain's face. She reached it and immediately began scraping at the slime that engulfed Kacchan's mouth. Her fingers slipped through the flexible substance with ease, but she didn't give up. The goop finally came free of Kacchan's mouth, and the teenager sucked in a fair amount of oxygen before yelling at her angrily,

"What are you doing? Get out of here, I don't need your help!" His tantrum was cut off by grimy slime fighting its way into his mouth. Kacchan jerked forward, trying to push Izuki out of his way. The blonde's eyes widened as a fist of slime came down upon Izuki. She turned to block it, but her reaction was too delayed. Her vision morphed to black as the villain's grasp seeped over her.

Bakugou watched with furious crimson eyes as the slime began prying at Izuki's lips too. He desperately sent off a flurry of explosions. His muscles tightened from the strain of using too much of his quirk. His attempts to escape seemed pointless and would leave him sore later. Suddenly, the villain surrounding his body went limp and slumped, defeated, to the ground. A gross slopping sound indicated that the attacker had fallen unconscious.

Bakugou panted with exhaustion, only focusing on sucking in as much oxygen as possible into his stressed diafram. His eyes grew wide as he remembered the quirkless girl that had tried saving him earlier. He whipped his head around in a panic, his gaze rested on the crumpled form of Izuki. He went over to her side and rolled her to a face-up position. His sight lingered on the black and blue bruises that littered her skinny frame. A small amount of blush lit his cheeks as he realized it wasn't just her body that had been wrecked.

Her pants were reduced to extremely short-shorts, leaving all her leg muscles on display. Her shirt was tattered, and so torn to threads that the edges of her red and black bra could be seen. His flustering observations were halted by a sweet, but deadly voice speaking in his ear.

"An arousing sight, isn't it?" Bakugou scooted away from the voice in surprise. The spoken words clicked in his head and his cheeks flushed. He was caught off guard by the sexy hero that'd asked him such a dirty question. Midnight smirked at his facial expression and saw an opportunity to have fun. She leaned over him and gave a sadistic grin.

"I'm sure no one would mind if you took her home for the night. They all probably assumed she's your girlfriend anyway." Bakugou's embarrassment grew and he tried to override it with anger. He'd never been assaulted in this way before. He shook away any debating thoughts and brought out his angsty side.

"I'm surprised a shy girl like Izuki picked someone like _you_ to be her _favorite hero_." Guilt trips are always the best trips.

Midnight's eyes lit with sparks of interest and she glanced at the green-haired teen lying on the street. A small, genuine smile tugged at her lips when she noticed Izuki's curves. It would be fun to train that girl in the art of seduction. Midnight remembered how that girl hadn't hesitated to run and try saving this blonde boy, Izuki's actions had been quite inspiring. Midnight muttered thoughtfully,

"Favorite hero huh?" Realizing she'd said that out loud, she faced the weird slimy blonde boy. "Why don't you let her call me sometime?" Midnight smirked at the boy and shoved a crumpled piece of paper into his fist. She raised her hand up in a signal that meant goodbye.

"Treat her well, she deserves it." Midnight took one last glance at the pair and grinned.

"Don't take advantage of her either, you hear?" She laughed to herself at the dirty suggestion, and for a moment she wondered if the boy would actually do something to the cutie. He may look like a temperamental teen, but it was clear as day that he held genuine concern for the girl. A smile graced her face once again as she found another reason to take interest in Izuki. What was it about that girl that could tame a guy like that?

…

Bakugou sat, stunned, next to the unconscious form of his "friend". His face flushed, in embarrassment? Was he embarrassed? Why did this stupid girl have to go and get herself hurt? He absentmindedly brushed stray strands of hair off her face. He stopped. There was blood. He pulled Izuki into his lap to get a closer look.

Placing hands on each side of her head, he gently turned it to get a full view of the wound. He instinctively reached out to touch it. His concentration broke when she grimaced in pain. Her eyes slowly opened, blinking a few times in order to adjust to the light. Her emerald pools bore into his crimson ones. His breath hitched.

"Kacchan is that you?" She squinted at him groggily. He _finally_ realized how close they actually were. Her head rested comfortably on his crossed legs, and her hands were twitching in anxiety. His own hands had fallen onto Izuki's chest after she'd awoken. Izuki, who thankfully didn't notice the awkward positioning, tilted her head innocently and smiled.

"What's wrong Kacchan? Why are you all red?" He gave her an almost shy look, careful not to move his arms too fast.

"S-shit Deku, you surprised me." He swore inwardly at the terrible sentence he'd just muttered out. Luckily, the carefree girl didn't seem to notice his embarrassment. Izuki smiled again and began the daunting task of getting up. Her arms shook with exhaustion. Bakugou resisted the urge to help, he shouldn't be _too_ heroic. He decided it was time for his escape. He wanted to forget this "nice" side of him ever existed, and he wouldn't mind if she forgot too. Bakugou shoved the paper from Midnight into Izuki's hand.

"Here, don't expect me to thank you or anything." He hid his pink cheeks beneath frustrated hands. He let out a long, angered sigh. What the _hell_ was wrong with him?

Izuki stared after Kacchan and watched curiously as he covered his face, in anger? She looked down absently at the piece of paper. She carefully flattened it out. Her eyes widened. On the paper was a message that said,

"Call me cutie, I look forward to it ~." At the bottom, there was a phone number with a little heart in the corner. Izuki read it again to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. Kacchan had given her this! _Kacchan_. She shook her head, no way. This wasn't his handwriting and he would never draw a heart on something, let alone call her _cutie_.

She closed her eyes and let out a breath of relief. She briefly wondered who wanted to give her their number. Gathering strength, she picked herself up and started walking down the street, fanning her flushed features. She still had some grocery shopping to do after all.

**AN: This chapter is dedicated to Green and Magical Natsu, my first supporter. Her favorite BNHA ship is BakuDeku, so there.**


	3. 3: Purple Prince aka Indigo Idiot

**Disclaimer: I do not own BNHA/MHA or any of its characers!**

**AN**: This chapter may start out kind of boring, but it's important for knowing certain details about Izuki's quirk. Make sure to read and enjoy it too! Trigger warning!

**Chapter 3: Purple Prince a.k.a. Indigo Idiot**

Working at the register wasn't the best job ever, but he needed the money. Every once in a while though, a customer would make his workplace a little more interesting. They'd usually complain about the store or his appearance. He especially enjoyed when arguments broke out between the people in line. It was fun to provide his opinion on their argument and casually diffuse the situation by making himself their common enemy. His manager didn't appreciate the tactic, but the guy was seriously low on employees.

The store was small and the profits were coming in at minimum rate. Shinsou's register had almost no line for most of his shift. Since the isles were so empty, he was allowed to pass the time by watching the news on a dingy TV suspended above the register.

He yawned widely as the news reporter explained another villainous rampage. His tired eyes observed the monitor as it panned over a slimy creature engulfed in flames. Meanwhile, the heroes all stood along the heated boulevard doing absolutely nothing. Shinsou sighed at the suited queue of unmoving "inspirations" who wore the exact same panicked expressions as the fleeing crowd. Weren't they supposed to be the brave ones?

He smirked at their hesitation and thought that his quirk would've been perfect for the fight. He'd be able to walk right up to the slime and just tell it to surrender. The other heroes could put out the fire, and the blonde kid would go home free. He would've actually done it if he wasn't under age and currently working. He wasn't a hero, _yet_. Surprised shouts pulled his attention back to the screen.

A cute green-haired girl sprinted straight at the villain. She wore a determined look while dodging the flailing arms of goop. Her skillful strategy let her reach the blonde boy in an instant. Unfortunately for the girl, the slime didn't care about her attempts and easily wrapped around her as well. Shinsou kept himself from letting out a relieved sigh upon Midnight's arrival. He shouldn't care about those random teens, but they were still people. He also found himself admiring the small girl who held a shocking amount of courage.

Shinsou even felt pity for her when she was left unconscious beside the ungrateful blonde boy. Hopefully the explosive teenager would have at least enough sense to walk the girl home. He went back to work as a short line began to form. He lost himself in the tedious task until a sweet voice resurfaced his thoughts.

"Excuse me sir, could you help me out please?" He turned towards it with his usual bored expression, but it quickly changed to gaping surprise. The same girl who'd appeared on his screen now stood before him in all her disheveled glory. She tilted her head and smiled in the cutest way possible. She was _way_ too cute. Her brightness made him want to poke her cheek to check if she was real, or if she was some sort of fanservice robot. He mumbled out a weird and practically incoherent phrase.

"Y-you're that girl." he maintained his relaxed posture, but his voice came out like he was choking. The girl frowned back at him in confusion.

"What girl?" He flinched at the sudden and scary change in her features. How could she get so serious so quickly? The new look didn't suit her as well as the smile.

"I mean, you're a hero." The girl's eyes widened and she took a step back. She pointed at herself doubtfully.

"Me, a hero?" Feeling the need to support his claim, he pointed at the TV.

"I saw you save your boyfriend from that villain. You were super brave. You moved when all the professianals were frozen." The girl's mouth fell open and her cheeks flushed.

"H-he's not my boyfriend." That was the one sentence she pulled out of his praise, really? He put a hand on his chest and continued to explain his admiration for her.

"Then you're even more worthy of being called hero because you risked your life for a person you didn't even know." His words came out clear and honest. He had the urge, for some unexplained reason, to encourage this brave but under-confident teenager. Her cheeks by this point had grown an even darker color red.

"T-thank you, uh…." He stepped forward and extended his palm.

"Shinsou Hitoshi, aspiring student and cashier at this fine establishment." She giggled lightly at his introduction and placed her hand in his.

"Midoriya Izuki, aspiring hero and customer of this fine establishment." He gave a small chuckle at her response.

"So, what did you need help with?" Izuki brushed a hand through her hair absently and reeled in the question she'd meant to ask earlier.

"Do you have a phone I could borrow?" He quirked an eyebrow in interest. Did she not have a phone? He found himself a little disappointed that he couldn't add this ray of sunshine to his contact list. She seemed so approachable and understanding.

"You don't have a phone?" She rubbed the back of her neck and gave him an almost shy look.

"I do, but I forgot it at home and I really need to call my mother. I think she's probably panicking after watching Kacchan and I get attacked by that villain." Shinsou connected the dots and realized the blonde guy must be this "Kacchan" she spoke of. He nodded to Izuki and handed over his phone. She smiled gratefully and typed in a number.

"Hi mom, don't worry I'm alive. Yes, I'm just getting those groceries you asked for. What, no! He's not my boyfriend mom! Why does everyone think that? _Oh_." Izuki's face reverted to red once again. Shinsou guessed that her mom had probably asked a bunch of embarrassing questions about the blonde teen. He smirked enjoyably at Izuki's responses. She glared at him and stuck out her tongue. She enacted revenge by taking her shot at flustering him.

"Yeah mom, I'm right next to the cashier, he's super hot." She smiled devilishly at him with a mischievous gleam lighting her eyes. He restrained himself from being shocked. This girl was scary because of the fact that her personality seemed to be tipping on the edge of a cliff. Would she fall to one side indefinitely, or would she continue swaying back and forth between cute and clever? He pondered the question while Izuki finished her important call.

She pressed the end button and swerved to return his phone, but she pulled it back before he could take it. She smiled apologetically.

"Sorry, if you don't mind, I have another call to make." Shinsou shrugged to show his indifference. His eyes followed her as she took out a piece of paper and smoothed its edges. He blinked twice at the flirtatious words written on the slip. She was really going to call a person who wrote like that? Izuki was just getting stranger and stranger. The girl's soft voice cracked his thoughts like broken glass.

"Hello, I just want to ask _who_ this is and _why_ exactly you left me a note while I was _unconscious_." She paused to receive her answer from the other line.

"Yup, that's me! Y-you're….no way! Oh my gods! You're my favorite hero! You're fighting style is so unique and awesome. Are you serious? Of course I will! Yeah, see you then." A dopey grin covered half of Izuki's face. A small tear of joy rolled across her cheek. She turned towards him with a bright and disbelieving smile.

"Shinsou, you won't believe this!" The purple-haired teen waited patiently for her to explain the situation. Izuki's eyes sparkled with admiration as she adamantly talked about the conversation.

"It was Midnight! She's so awesome. Her quirk is amazing and she has loads of confidence…." Izuki realized she had strayed off topic, so she got back on track.

"Well anyway, she asked me to be her apprentice! It's a dream come true! I mean she's my favorite hero, and…." Shinsou chuckled to himself as she continued on with her super cute fangirling. He didn't mention how surprised he was that Midnight had offered to train Izuki. Especially since Izuki was shy and easily embarrassed; she wasn't anything like Midnight.

_Oh_, the answer suddenly dawned on him. Midnight clearly wished to take advantage of Izuki's good looks and to teach her how to use her feminine wiles against male super-villains. He tried imagining what Izuki would be like after an apprenticeship with Midnight. The outcome could only be crowd killing.

He didn't know if anyone could handle her after that, and if she had a hero costume anywhere close to what Midnight debuted in…...every self-respecting man was done for.

Izuki finally returned his communication device and smiled,

"Sorry, I might've got a _little_ carried away." She looked up at him through her lashes and waited for an answer. He gave her a teasing smile.

"I didn't know you were such a fangirl." Izuki twirled a strand of hair nervously.

"I suppose I could be called that, but I actually prefer analyzing quirks to chasing handsome heroes." Shinsou nodded approvingly. That made more sense to him. She did act like one of the more modest types. He guessed she was prone to improving herself without even realizing she had done so. When he stared into her eyes long enough he could see her burning desire to be a hero. He made a bet that she was a great artist too. She had an eye for detail.

Izuki finished bagging her groceries while Shinsou finished his thoughts. Without thinking any further, he walked over and transferred the bags into his own arms. Izuki tilted her head curiously.

"What're you doing?" He made the quickest excuse he could think of.

"My shifts ending and you've had quite the day. I want to be a hero too, you know. I figured I'd start with assisting a tired young lady home." Izuki's features sparkled in every way as she heard him relay his dream to her. She smiled widely and decided to let him help. He followed along with his own kind of smile.

"Thanks, you're very kind." She spoke lightly, but her gratitude hit heavily on his heart. He replied while observing her joyful face.

"It's no problem, like I said, I have to start acting more heroic if I want to catch up to you." Shinsou smirked playfully after making the declaration of rivalry. Izuki's smile grew even brighter at his teasing.

"So, what school are you going to try for?" This time, it was his turn to put on an almost fanboy-like face. His purple irises glimmered excitedly at her question.

"Well, I want to go to Yuuei, but I know their entrance exams don't exactly work for my quirk so, I'm applying for their General Studies course too." Izuki listened to his hyperness, which didn't sound anything close to his usual monotone tiredness. Her smile could only grow larger after his ode to Yuuei. When he finished describing his future plans, she poked him playfully.

"Who's the fan now?" Shinsou grinned sheepishly at her.

"By the way, I'm aiming for Yuuei too. It _is_ the top hero school, and Midnight works there." He was surprised with himself as he felt happiness fill him. For some reason he had labeled Izuki as his friend along the way, and the idea of having someone to stay by his side and support his dream seemed pretty amazing to him. He just found himself wishing, once again, that he had a different quirk. Spending more time with his new friend wouldn't be that easy if they were in opposing classes.

Then, he wondered what her quirk was. She must have an outstanding one if she was so confident about going to Yuuei. As if she'd read his thoughts, Izuki asked the exact question that had just come to his mind.

"What's your quirk anyway?" Shinsou began to answer, but stopped himself impulsively. How would she react when she heard about his "villainous" quirk? Everyone he told about it always labeled him as a villain. They said his quirk was great for a bad guy, but he'd never wanted to be the bad guy. He pushed down the depressing thoughts and got it over with.

"My quirk's brainwashing. If I ask someone a question, and they answer, then I can control them." He frowned at the explanation; it did sound evil. He looked at Izuki hesitantly, expecting to see a shocked or scared look upon her face. Instead, she smiled, one of those big, breath-taking ones. Her eyes took on a calculating appearance.

"Wow! That's an amazing quirk! Does it work on animals too?" Shinsou's mouth gaped at her completely casual and curious tone. She wasn't phased by his quirk at all; she didn't think he was evil! Izuki was acting normal; well, her own kind of normal anyway. Shinsou decided, right then and there, to place her near the top of his friends list. Even if it wasn't that long of a list, she would still be considered awesome. Izuki was even more accepting and trustworthy than he'd originally judged. Sweeping away his surprise, he finally answered her question.

"No, animals are immune to my quirk." Izuki nodded thoughtfully, then, her features changed as if she'd just come up with the best idea ever.

"I'd like to know more about your quirk, so….could you use it on me?" Shinsou immediately halted and stared at her in shock.

"What?!" His eyes were wide, and he wasn't sure if he'd heard her right. Izuki played with her ponytail obliviously.

"I want to know how your quirk works for future reference, so could you try it on me?" He shook his head in disbelief.

"You're kidding." Izuki frowned at him seriously.

"No, it's fine. I trust you." His heart gave a painful palpitation within his chest. That's a first. Her kind words along with her supposed innocence were starting to make his brain spin. Shinsou gave her a worried glance to relay his concern. She smiled and nodded in encouragement. Shinsou sucked in a breath to calm his nerves. No one had ever _asked_ to be brainwashed. He hesitantly asked the required activation question, it was one he was actually curious about.

"What's your quirk?" Izuki's eyes flooded with sadness upon his inquiry. The pain clearly showed on her face. Just what kind of quirk did she have? He was about to take it back, when her quiet voice interrupted.

"I….I…." He was almost glad when his quirk took affect. Anything was better than her suffering, even the absence of emotion.

"Tell me Midoriya, what's your quirk?" Her tone came out steely and robotic, like a machine.

"When I'm under the use of suppressants, it is called Painful Contact. The full effect and proper name of my quirk is classified information, but I can tell you that it's medicated to insure the safety of everyone around me." Shinsou's mind filled with disbelief even though she could only answer truthfully. Suppressants were only given to people with highly dangerous or uncontrollable quirks. He listened in amazement as her tragic explanation continued.

"Due to an accident at a young age, I entered Quirk Dormancy Surgery to properly guarantee the survival of my friends and relatives. Recent activities however, have somehow created a fissure in the part of the brain that keeps my power dormant. Now, although I'm not back to my original range of usage, I have gained a surmountable amount of access. My current availability is around 15% of my entire capacity. Right now, I can successfully paralyze an opponent as long as I remain in contact with them for one minute. The affected victim can receive side effects such as nerve loss, sickness, nausea, and blurry vision. The victim's pain receptors can possibly become cut off for up to one week. Once gaining full accessibility to my quirk, I will gain a classified improvement to my power which will allow me to perform highly lethal attacks."

Shinsou's brainwashing must've been satisfied with the long narration, because Izuki was pushed back into consciousness. Her face was slack and her expression dazed. He was frowning at the depth of explanation she'd just giving. It was clear how well she could analyze quirks. He was quite sure anyone else would've stopped explaining after about two sentences. Shinsou also wondered what caused the doctors to resort to Dormancy Surgery. It had to be something terrible.

It also dawned on him that her quirk could be considered quite villainous as well, so she must've been through a similar struggle for trying to become a hero. A sympathetic look fell across his face as Izuki regained her composure.

A few droplets of salty water trailed down her face. The sinking rays of the sun's light refracted within the tears. They sparkled like one thousand tiny fairies were attempting to escape their sad imprisonment.

Shinsou reached out to catch the morsel of pain before it could fall from her delicate chin. Izuki reacted on instinct to his movements. Her hand shot up to capture his wrist, allowing the synecdoche of her long-term suffering to splatter onto the gravelly ground as if it was worthless.

Shinsou's mind screamed at him for letting it go. Some hero you are! Even though his brain told him it was bad, Izuki's face told him it was good. She needed to let the tear go.

Izuki wanted to shove her past into the trash, so a garbage truck could come and take it away. She wanted it to rot within that heap of waste and be forgotten forever. Instead, the cruel fates decided to laugh at her and cause a fluke. Her trash destined memories accidently fell into the recycling. They went through her brain like reusable plastic through a melting machine. They were revisited time and time again. Never corroding until she did; her thoughts consumed by burning flames of despair.

Her eyes started to get blurry from the introduction of fresh sadness. She gulped determinedly and wiped her cheeks. She applied a restrictive smile to her lips and turned back to Shinsou. Unable to contain his longing for someone who shared similar difficulties, Shinsou asked a dire question.

"So, how many times have you been called evil or villainous then?" Izuki flinched, but answered anyway. Her eyes glazed over as if she was looking into the past.

"Only once, a long time ago." She peered at Shinsou and grimaced at his shocked features. He looked as if he was about to burst.

"Only once! How'd you get them to back off?! Nothing I ever did made people stop." Izuki poked her fingers together in an act of hesitation. She'd already told him the story that only the doctors, her mom, and herself knew. Why not tell him everything else too? She probably couldn't be anymore vulnerable to this guy then she already was anyways.

"Well, when I found out I'd be taking suppressants, I was scared of how my best friend would react, so I told him and everyone else that I was quirkless. I thought it'd be better if, rather than being feared, I'd be pitied. I found out later just how wrong I was." Izuki let out a sigh of content. It felt good to finally release her emotions. For once, someone would know her entire struggle, not just one side of it.

Shinsou looked taken aback by her confession. People actually believed this brave girl was quirkless? He imagined that this childhood friend of hers must've not known her that well at all. Her old friend probably hadn't taken to well to her whole quirkless charade either. He made that guess based on Izuki's tear-filled eyes. He felt a mixture of anger and jealousy toward her long-lost friend. She clearly deserved better. He remained silent for the rest of the walk, leaving her with the freedom of understanding.

…

Izuki came to a halt in front of her door. She turned and grabbed the groceries from Shinsou.

"Thank you." She bowed politely to him and smiled with gratitude.

"See you at Yuuei, Mr. Shinsou." Smirking playfully, he gifted her a slip of paper.

"And you, Ms. Midoriya." The indigo-haired teen put his hand up in a wave and walked back in the direction they'd came from. Izuki watched him disappear in the fading light of dusk. Then, she unfolded the second note she'd been given that day. She found herself blushing at the contents. When did he find time to write this? She read the familiar words scrawled on the parchment,

"Call me sometime cutie, I look forward to it ~" Once again, a phone number was accented sweetly with a miniature heart at the page's bottom. Despite his flirtatious words, she found herself placing his name on the Friends list in her contacts, along with Midnight's.

Izuki reminded herself to meet with Midnight tomorrow upon her request. She squealed excitedly in anticipation, she'd begin her training with Midnight tomorrow! Today, she'd gained confidence, a friend, and a new mentor. Despite how depressing the morning news had been, she was now filled to the brim with enthusiasm for her fresh start. For tomorrow, it'd be the day that all her dreams came true.

**AN: I am NOT pairing anyone yet! Yes, I have done a bit of suggestive pairing, but there won't be any official ROMANTIC pairs until around the Sports Festival arc. I hope you know the difference between romantic and friendly relationships. Thank you for reading! Also, thank you to the few people who noticed the glitch!**


	4. 4: Dawn, Dusk

**Disclaimer: I'm not the amazing Horikoshi Kohei, so I don't own the amazing BNHA or its amazing characters.**

**AN: Once again, it starts out a little boring, but it's an important chapter for understanding Izuki's background. I should warn you that it gets quite depressing near the end. So here's a TRIGGER WARNING before you enjoy. **

**Chapter 4: Dawn, Dusk**

Her fingers bent back in an unnecessarily long stretch. She yawned a satisfying length and slid her legs over the side of her bed. Yesterday's events had taxed her body more than she knew.

Yawning again, she clasped her hands together in a praying motion to thank the gods that it was the weekend. With the sun shining brightly, her mom working, and her schedule free, it was an absolutely amazing day to meet her favorite hero.

She let her mind wonder into a jumble of imaginative ideas about her new training regimen. What would a fantastic hero such as Midnight have her do? Her face turned ghostly white as all of Midnight's fights filtered through her brain. That hero was R rated for a reason.

Shaking herself to suppress the shivers, she quickly threw on her workout attire. Lastly, she tightened her mess of hair into a ponytail that splayed across her left shoulder. Slipping on a pair of black tennis shoes, Izuki abandoned her house.

She came to a stop in front of a large white building with two expansive windows that showed the interior. Unfortunately for her curiosity, the lights were dimmed, so the only thing to be seen was ominous shadow. Sitting neatly above the creepy windows were the words,

"Dawn to Dusk: Training Gymnasium for those in need of an Ego!" Eying the name skeptically, Izuki ran through Midnight's instructions mentally. She confirmed that this dingy location was the right place. Nodding to herself, she hesitantly stepped through the mysterious threshold.

….….….….…

The inside revealed only dark and haunting stillness. It stretched over a long floor that led to an even longer wall outlined in dim light. Izuki instinctively tensed in the darkness. A surprise could be lurking anywhere within the shadowy calm.

The smooth snap of a whip made her turn in fright. She stood face-to-face with the maniacal, grinning woman she most admired. Midnight's eyes examined her from top to bottom. Her smile impossibly grew in approval of Izuki's currently accentuated curves. A durable costume immediately came to mind within her mind's creative storage. No doubt, the middle-aged model would have fun.

Finally done with her assessment, the hero slid her free hand under Izuki's chin. She lifted it to tease the girl and lightly brushed her fingers over the nerves leading to Izuki's neck and shoulders.

"What's your name darling?" Izuki shifted away uncomfortably. A small, modest blush formed on her cheeks as she realized her lifetime idol was asking for _her_ name. Her words, of course, came out in shy stutters.

"My n-name's M-Midoriya ma'am." Midnight's slightly creepy smile stayed plastered on her face as she began circling Izuki like a hawk surveying its prey. Izuki's eyes followed each movement suspiciously. Her legs shook subtly in mounting anxiety.

Midnight halted her eclipse and stood inclined over Izuki's back. She carefully placed her hands on the girl's shoulders and leaned forward. Her whispering voice tickled the hairs on Izuki's neck.

"I'm going to have lots of fun training you." Izuki provided her with a shaky smile.

"W-what should I c-call you?" Midnight let go of Izuki and laughed at the un-phased teen. Midoriya wasn't shy because of Midnight's strong personality or sexual teasing, but the fact that she was a superhero somehow left Izuki frazzled? Now that's a true fangirl.

"Well, my name's Kayama Nemuri, but I also go by my more commonly used name Midnight. Of course, you can call me whatever you like." Izuki's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.

"R-really?" Those cute, puppy-like green spheres were soaking in every detail. They were the only thing preventing Midnight from going all out with her sadistic personality. She nodded to the teen, which sent Izuki's fangirl flames into a further blaze. Izuki tried to restrain from blurting out her thoughts, but to no avail.

"M-Ms. Kayama, what could you possibly teach _me_?" A spark of enjoyment lit Midnight's expression. Her smug features failed to change as she replied,

"I was waiting for you to ask that."

….….….….…

As days passed Izuki learned all kinds of things from her mentor, but everything could be placed into six categories: confidence building, strategy, fighting, strength, endurance, and originality. These individual skills were ultimately how Midnight, and many other heroes, had become popular and able people.

Izuki's favorite was strategy because sometimes she could just sit, scribbling in her Hero Analysis Notebook, for hours. Midnight had asked her a quick question about it on one occurrence.

"How much do you know about my quirk?" Izuki perked up and began flipping to the front three pages, which were dedicated to Midnight. She sat up straighter and began rambling passionately about her mentor's quirk.

"Your quirk's name is Somnambulist and it causes anyone you wish to fall asleep. Although, it usually requires you to touch them. That's probably why you use a whip to expand your range. It has the ability to revert to a cloud-like form and paralyze several enemies at once, but that makes it last a shorter period. I also noticed that it's more effective during the night, which is where I originally concluded you got your name from, but later found out it was from a porn movie…"

While Izuki murmured, Midnight compared the girl to the one she'd met just a few days prior. _That_ girl had been shy and uncertain, but it now seemed as if the teen had a sort of personality issue. If Midnight could somehow isolate Izuki's confident and enthusiastic side, it would be far easier to covert her into the second sexy hero. A dreamy smile fell over Midnight's lips as she imagined the things this girl could pull off with her alternating cute-sexy personality.

Midnight tapped the still going Izuki on the shoulder. Izuki stopped instantly and gave a pitiful apologetic expression. Izuki was sorry for being brilliant?

"How do you do that?" Midnight's curiosity warped her face into a genuine and almost dorky grin. Izuki took a step back.

"Do what?" The hero paused to think up a good answer.

"You get so passionate when you talk about heroes and other people's quirks. How do you switch from being modest to outgoing?" A sheepish look overtook Izuki.

"Well, that's what I used to act like all the time, but...let's just say it's my quirk's fault." Midnight gave a sidelong glance. The reluctant answer only deepened her need for information.

"Is that why you don't have yourself in there?" She pointed lazily to Izuki's notebook. The teen's eyes shimmered hatefully as if she'd been reminded of her worst enemy.

"My quirk will not be put with those of heroes, for if I could chose to, I'd rather be rid of it." She spat the sentence aggressively at Midnight. A hint of a warning was layered in her voice. This was an empty subject for Izuki; one that was forbidden to speak of. That's the exact reason Midnight pushed onwards.

"Why do you want to be a hero if you hate your quirk, how are you going to be?" Izuki's anger turned to sadness instantaneously. She choked out her reply with solemn features.

"I need to atone for my past." Her regret filled words reached the hero's ears in a depressing whisper. Midnight's own expression changed to guarded curiosity.

"What do you need to atone for?" Izuki took in a deep breath of air. She had to do this; everyone would eventually find out anyway. Her burning green eyes reflected her pain as she spoke.

"I-I-I...I'm a murderer." Her throat constricted as the truth came out and tears spilled down her cheeks in glimmering waterfalls. It was Midnight's turn to take a step back. Her shock was displayed clearly on her face.

"What are you talking about! What happened?" She placed a hand reassuringly on Izuki's shoulder. The green-eyed teenager swept her fingers through her hair to calm her nerves.. This would be the first person, other than her mom, that knew the whole of her quirk's history. She began the story.

….….….….…

Izuki's eyes were swollen from crying all week. Being quirkless wasn't as easy as she thought. She'd been required to cover up her quirk's faults by wearing gloves as well. The slick green leather only provided another outlet for Kacchan's tormenting.

Her mother came into the room and silently sat down next to her,

"What's wrong honey?" Izuki licked her lips. They were covered in salty tears.

"What's wrong with me mom? There must be something wrong." The toddler looked at her with emerald pools of uncertainty. Inko had to restrain from crying too.

"Nothing's wrong with you. You're my perfect little girl." She hugged her daughter tightly, and let the tiny human exfoliate all of her doubts from within. Without breaking from her mother's protective hold, Izuki asked another important question.

"Mom, will papa be home soon?" Inko's eyebrows furrowed as she caught a glimpse of her daughter's need.

"Yes sweetheart, he's visiting tomorrow." The little girl perked up and hastily wiped away the water attached to her face. She seemed to believe that her father would come bursting through the door at that very moment. Inko kissed her gently on the forehead.

"You should go to sleep honey. You have a big day tomorrow." Inko gave a restricted smile and bopped her playfully on the nose.

"I'll call in to your school. I think you deserve a day off with your father." Izuki's grief vaporized so quickly that it left Inko dazed. She'd forgotten how speedily a child's mood could swing.

….….….….…

Midday sunlight filtered through the window, shining straight onto Izuki's rainbow crayons. Her dad wouldn't come home until after lunch, so she took it upon herself to make the best welcome home present ever.

On the paper, shone a glossy green peony. Sure, it was a little lopsided, but it satisfied her immensely. A peony was her dad's favorite flower, and green was her entire family's favorite color. As she started cutting out the flower's form, the front door slammed shut. It signaled the arrival of her father.

Izuki snipped the last piece and ran to the door. Her face was lit by a brilliant smile. Her father wore a huge grin on his face too. He opened his arms wide enough for Izuki to run straight into them. Izuki happily hugged her father while her two parents shared in their silent contentment.

Hisashi looked down fondly at his child. She took the chance to hand him her "expertly" cut flower. His face crinkled and happiness filled his soul to the maximum. He lightly played with Izuki's hair and whispered to her sincerely,

"So beautiful, I love it." Izuki shyly hid her face beneath his giant coat. Hisashi admired the flower a bit longer and then placed it firmly in his chest pocket with the top sticking out. As he shifted back to squeeze his daughter once more, a soft green glove had him frowning

"What's this for?" He grabbed Izuki's hand and set it on his. "Why are you wearing gloves?" Izuki frowned and began to back away. Panicking, she looked to her mother for help.

"It's for her quirk dear." A proud expression overtook Hisashi's face; he appeared completely satisfied.

"My little girl got her quirk eh? Can you show me?" Izuki shook her head and hung it in shame. Inko whispered into her husband's ear.

"That's not a good idea. You see…" Before she could finish, Hisashi picked up Izuki and swung her around pridefully.

"Nonsense, she can't hurt anybody!" He set her down and slyly removed the gloves from her tiny fingers. He gave her a little handshake to show her it was safe.

"You see, nobody's hurt." Inko grimaced internally, but made no effort to stop the man. He had successfully reverted Izuki back to her joyful self. Izuki was so overjoyed and oblivious that she gladly gave in to her father's wishes. He lifted her up until she sat firmly in his arms. Her hands were wrapped securely around the base of his neck. Hisashi smiled and tossed a camera to Inko. She was smiling now too; nothing seemed to be amiss.

The camera lense clicked and Inko busied herself by blowing on the printed picture. With a satisfactory grin, she pivoted to give the photo to Hisashi. Instead, a terrifying sight beheld her.

Silent tendrils of black creeped slowly from Izuki's veins and into Hisashi's throat. Inko dropped the picture and her face morphed into the representation of fear. Afraid to touch her spouse and offspring, she could only observe the traumatic scene.

Hisashi's nerves were all black now, and the skin of his face was dyed an ashen grey. The appalling color spread exactly as the tendrils had, but it was much worse. The ash left his features cracked like a vase upon the ground. Finally, the man's body became fully enmeshed in the greyness. He stood there silently for a few moments. Then, his body swayed and he crumpled to the floor.

Izuki, whom he had been holding, fell onto the pile of bony shards. They were the only remnant of her father.

Mother and daughter stared at the pile in shocked unison. Inko's panic ended when she saw blood splattered over Izuki's skin. She hurriedly picked up the phone and dialed the emergency line. Her eyes were dead with pain, desensitized to everything. She could speak, but didn't know what she was saying.

"M-my husband, you have to save him. My daughter she's..." Tears spilled from her eyes and her heart pounded loudly.

"Ma'am, what's your name? Where are you?" Inko sucked in air desperately while sobbing and giving a slow answer.

"Midoriya Inko, my husband...It's too late...too late."

"Ma'am, I noticed that your daughter is under observation. Does this have anything to do with her?" Inko almost choked on her sadness.

"Y-yes, s-she...lost control and she's bleeding, but that….that VILLAIN killed him! My husband, she killed him!" Pain broke her apart from the inside. Izuki felt the same. Both females were burning inside.

"Ma'am, please calm down. We're on our way." The person on the phone seemed to hesitate for a while.

"Ms. Midoriya, would you like to give consent for your daughter to undergo Quirk Dormancy Surgery?" Inko, unlike the questioner, didn't hesitate.

"Yes, I give my full consent."

….….….….

Izuki's face scrunched in sadness at the memory. Midnight wore an utterly shocked look, but pity filled her eyes.

"So, only you and your mom knew this?" Izuki nodded in confirmation.

"Yeah, but I know I'll eventually have to tell everyone." Izuki gave a disheartened chuckle, "The more I do it, the easier it will become." Midnight shook her head solemnly.

"That isn't always true, but the people you care about shouldn't be lied to." She gave the teen a few minutes to let that sink it. Then, she clapped her hands together and effectively broke the tension.

"Alright, Let's get back to training! I bet that passion of yours can easily be converted into confidence." Izuki thanked her teacher mentally, and the two of them went to work. Their goal was to turn a certain shy, green-haired girl into a hero.

**AN: That was rough. I warned you, didn't I? Hope this is a tragic enough backstory for all the critics out there. If you notice, I thought it was so depressing that I tried lightening it up a little with the end dialogue. Sorry if you're still sad or traumatized, but this ****_is_**** a mature fanfiction. Thanks for reading! bababababa**


	5. 5: Tiring Training and Talking

**Disclaimer: I don't own BNHA/MHA or any of its characters. **

**EN: This took a while because the author, Jest, is hospitalized. I'm his editor, and I'll be taking over for a bit. Be glad he's prepared. He wrote the entire story ahead of time. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 5: Tiring Training and Talking**

With three months remaining in her training, Izuki had to face the most difficult time yet. She had to attend her last day of school. It was the day she would find out if her application to Yuuei had been accepted and if she could try the entrance exam. She was both excited and scared. She wanted to free her schedule and spend the time during the summer to increase her training and hang out with her most recent friend, Shinsou. Izuki felt internally refreshed to be finally facing the last day of her horrible enrollment in middle school.

As soon as she arrived she received her usual greeting from Kacchan's lackys. They threw insults and threats at her constantly. Izuki blinked at them and went on her way. It wasn't like they'd be able to follow Kacchan for much longer anyways.

Finally, she was allowed to relax and throw her bag down beside her. She released her stress by writing diligently in her half-burned notebook. Izuki was impressed to find her entire class's gazes on her. The had fallen completely silent. She quirked an eyebrow curiously.

"What?" One of the students who'd been leaning too far over in his chair fell over; no one laughed. Izuki shrugged and went back to work. She threw down her pencil in annoyance and looked at each classmate in turn.

"What do you want?" The long-nosed boy behind her provided an answer, or rather two.

"Something's different about you Midoriya; also, you got called to the office a few minutes ago." The students nodded along. Izuki shoved her stuff into her school bag and shuffled toward the door. Before she left, she caught the whispers of her classmates.

"She's late. She's _never_ late!"

"What's with her clothes?"

"Her attitude is off too." Izuki reacted to their observations by looking herself over. _Oh_. She hadn't worn leggings under her skirt or an undershirt below her uniform. The school's uniform now effectively displayed her cleavage and her well-muscled legs. She blushed vigorously. Midnight's types of "training" must've influenced her more than she thought. There was nothing she could do about it now.

Her brisk pace carried her to the office quickly, and she was soon turning the knob. As she stepped through the entry she saw Kacchan waiting with the principal. He was smiling too wide. Gulping nervously, she took Midnight's advice and started thinking of all the wonderful heroes she knew. Her lip curled into a small smile and she placed herself beside Kacchan. He stared at her with accusing eyes, but didn't say a word. Izuki shifted her attention to the principal as he began a speech.

"I am proud to present to you, two certificates of graduation...now, before you question why your graduation is seperate, I'll answer. It's simply because Yuuei's exam overlaps with the ceremony. I'm proud to know, not one, but two of my students were allowed to try for Yuuei! Good luck!" He smiled grossly. Kacchan meanwhile had to restrain from snapping at her since the principal was directly in front of him. The desire to obtain the certificate and maintain his perfect record was just enough to keep him from setting off. He'd have to wait until after school to hold any "chats" with his friend. Their principal finally dismissed them, and they both began the fast-walking race back to class.

Kacchan tailed her in a hateful and creepy manner. Izuki stopped abruptly in front of the room's door. Kacchan, who was following too closely and not paying attention, bumped into her back when she halted. He started to yell, but Izuki turned to face him, their faces only inches apart. Izuki's eyes shone passionately.

"If you're going to become a hero, start acting like one." Her spittle landed in his eye, causing him to take a step back before blinking in shock. Did this shy girl just insult him? What happened to make her this different? He blinked again to erase his doubts.

"Don't talk to me like that! All you are is a quirkless Deku! Never act as if you're superior!" Izuki wanted to practice the persona Midnight had taught her, and this was the perfect chance.

"You're right, a quirkless person could _never _get into Yuuei." She laced the sarcasm in her voice heavily. Bakugou nodded in affirmation.

"Exactly, wait...what?" He glared at the girl who stood smiling before him.

"Y-you, you're not Deku!" He pointed an agitated finger at her. Izuki gathered all her passion to wring out a few more minutes with this personality. She circled around him, smirking wildly.

"You're right, I'm not Deku. I'm Izuki." She copied Midnight's trick and tipped down Kacchan's chin so that he was stuck staring into her teasing eyes.

"Or would you rather call me Uki-chan?" Bakugou's bright maroon eyes widened in comprehension. She was dangling a fish above a shark. The tips of his ears went red, but it wasn't caught by Izuki. The old memories of their childhood were mostly regarded as mud to him, but that nickname wasn't one of them.

"Whatever Deku! A nobody like you will never get accepted into Yuuei!" Izuki shifted her weight to one leg and casually let her grin grow into one of her ridiculously huge ones. Her expression remained joyful as she studied her long-term bully.

"You see, that might be a problem, because I'm not quirkless." The truth came out in a calm and genuine statement. Bakugou's eyes turned a shadowy evil color as he glared.

"What?" He grabbed her shoulders and looked at her, demanding an explanation.

"What did you say?" Izuki's bold personality crumbled to the ground. She steadily morphed back into the shy, submissive Deku that Kacchan had always known. She squealed in fear and started to back away, her body shaking. Bakugou's lip curled into a smirk and he grabbed her wrists. He smiled obnoxiously and pulled her into the nearest secluded area.

Bakugou pushed her into the wall with his left arm and leaned in. Menace filled his soul with anger. His hate controlled his actions completely. Arm still holding her neck, he whispered into her ear with evil intent.

"Why didn't you tell me about your quirk before, _Uki-chan_?" He spat in her face while his eyes glowed aggressively. Izuki flinched away from his creepy-warm breath.

"W-what are you going to do if I don't tell you?" Shivers went through her body as Bakugou drew his thumb across her neck.

"I could do anything to you Deku, and you'd still refuse to tell me?" Izuki turned away in order to break his glare. She gulped in apprehension.

"I don't care what you do." The sparkling water that fell from her cheeks told him otherwise. She clearly felt betrayed. Bakugou turned her head back towards him so that she could read his gaze. Izuki glimpsed the hurt within. He felt betrayed too. Why had she never confided in him? Why did she act helpless to his tormenting? Was she mocking him?

"I-I don't _want_ to hurt you Uki, I want to be a hero." Izuki looked down. His confession was so genuine that it hurt. More tears fell from her face.

"I was afraid Kacchan; afraid I wouldn't have my friend anymore." Bakugou gave her a long look, his expression calculating. His grip slowly waned until he completely released her. His conflicted mind sent his face into grimacing frustration.

"Kacchan," Izuki interrupted nervously. "Do you want to see my quirk?" Bakugou reacted to her slowly. He seemed confused by his own calmness.

"Yeah, here." He handed her a quirk stress ball that his doctor had humorously gave him after saying he had anger issues. The ball worked to absorb powerful attacks, so it'd be perfect to display Izuki's power. Izuki gave him an apprehensive look.

"There's one more thing I should tell you Kacchan…" Bakugou inclined forward and moved his hands in a gesture for her to spill it.

"Well..about my power... think I got it back in the wrong way because I can only use about 10-15% of my quirk without repercussions." Bakugou shrugged, expecting that 100% wasn't much. He was wrong.

Izuki's palms turned grey as she activated her quirk. The color condensed and then it seeped into the ball. Each tiny pore smudged over with black tendrils. It spread constantly over the orb. Silence settled as the pair examined the unreactive object. Just as Bakugou began to relax, the ball exploded dramatically in a burst of foamy grey blobs.

"That was 10%?" He asked, surprised. Izuki shook her head.

"No, it was 20%" Confusion filled Bakugou's expression.

"But you said that you could only use 15%." Izuki shifted uncomfortably.

"Well, I _can _use a higher percent, but it comes with consequences." She brushed a finger across her palm.

"My hands won't register touch for a few days." Bakugou attempted to regain focus by blinking away the fog in his brain. He gave her a critical look. He wanted to comprehend this alone, so he finally left her in awkward silence.

Izuki took a breath and headed her own direction. She was prepared to face her last months of training and the exam. Bakugou's silence had confirmed that fact for her.

**EN: The story will get more action. The main events are all pretty much clustered around the Sports Festival arc currently. At least those that are majorly different than the cannon version. I know this chapter is shorter than usual, I'm the editor after all. As always, thanks for reading!**


	6. 6: Esteemed Exam

**Disclaimer:** I don't own MHA/BNHA or any of its beautiful and excellent characters.

**An:** **I'm free of the hospital! To thank my editor Jada, who typed chapter five, I've included Shinsou, her favorite character, in this one. Thank you Jada, enjoy!**

**Chapter 6: Esteemed Exam**

Izuki's training had intensified as promised by her insane mentor. Now she practiced all six categories everyday. For her least favorite part, confidence building, her cheeks were always red. Midnight insisted on teaching her to be a model and often gave her too dirty dating advice. Although it was embarrassing, Izuki knew it might be helpful someday. She also concluded that saying things the way Midnight did took a certain amount of gusto.

The main thing she enjoyed under Midnight was the obstacle course. She'd already perfected it, so now she tried running through it with a different sense disabled each time. It taught her to get over her weaknesses. She'd noticed so far that her quirk's consequences usually ranged within bleeding from her nose, hands, or mouth. More use of her quirk caused her to disable a random sense for a period and made her fatigued. That's why she focused on this type of endurance training.

Also, in her many escapes from the stuffy gym, Izuki had taken to cleaning the beach. She'd tried coming here for some fresh air, but found herself breathing less because of the stench of trash. While cleaning she often memorized Midnight's confidence tips. It helped her focus on something other than garbage and sweat. Shinsou joined her at times.

As the beach grew slowly clearer, her control over each persona grew as well. Since her mind always wandered, she didn't notice how toned she'd really become until her silky-haired mentor pointed it out in approval. One especially humid day Midnight approached her with a stack of papers.

"Here, these are for you." She slapped the papers dramatically into Izuki's gloved hands.

"What are they?" Izuki asked curiously. Midnight gave her an accusing glare. She prompted the girl to answer her own question by simply looking at them. Izuki could be so oblivious at times. It was a true tragedy. Finally, Izuki picked up the hints and her eyes flicked over the stack.

"Nope!" Izuki shouted before even reading the notes in the margin. "There's no way I'll wear that, it's too revealing!" Midnight rolled her eyes and pointed at the pictures.

"You will wear that if you want to be acknowledged as my pupil." It was the teen's turn to give an obnoxious glare.

"Can I at least wear a cloak over it?" Midnight retched back her neck in a strong reaction of disgust.

"Of course you can't!" Izuki refuted her exclamation with a new one.

"I'm pretty sure you told me modesty could be a good thing because it makes the reveal that much more brilliant." Her trainer put a finger under her chin and thought for a moment. A long sigh escaped her lips.

"Fine, you can have the cloak." Izuki brought back her overly bright smile. Then, she shoved the designs into her pocket. Midnight leaned over unenthusiastically,

"Alright, time to train."

…..

She had just made a dent in the large section dedicated to tires on the beach, when a slightly annoying individual interrupted her work. He drew closer in his usual irritatingly slow pace. His indigo hair shifted softly in the salty ocean breeze. She waited impatiently for him to finish his approach and he smirked in acknowledgment of her frustration.

"Do you want some help with that?" He gestured to the half-used rubber hunk she'd set down to talk freely. She gave him a small smile, completely forgetting about her earlier irritations.

"I think I can handle it better than you." Shinsou shrugged in acceptance and sat cross-legged on a clear patch of sand. He watched as she continued with her task. Unannounced to her, another figure was jogging up to her and Shinsou. This one had silky and dark hair that flashed brilliantly in the sunlight.

Izuki was making progress on what could be called the Shinsou Tire Tower. The purple-haired teen sat perfectly still as she placed the rubber rings around him in a building stack. She put another layer on, and his face began disappearing amid the treads. Midnight, the new figure, started sprinting straight toward her rubbery tower. Izuki stared, stunned, at her mentor's immaturity, for Midnight had swung the untrained kick of a two-year-old on her Tire Tower, and sent it spralling through the sand. The wheels scattered and Shinsou face-planted, as crudely as possible, onto the beach. The R rated hero examined the destruction with pride. Her assessment cut short when she saw Shinsou.

"Oh, who's that?" She gave Izuki a mischievous grin. Izuki impulsively tensed at the question, but then shrugged off her impulsive secrecy. It didn't matter if Midnight knew who he was because it wasn't like she could do anything about it.

"This is Shinsou Hitoshi." She gestured to the grain-covered face of her friend. Particles from the beach flowed from his messy hair in a continuous stream. Midnight cringed when he smiled at her with a wide, dirty grin. She shook her head in disapproval.

"Please tell me he isn't your boyfriend." Izuki blushed and Shinsou's attention snapped to Midnight. The green-haired girl hesitated as her cutesy-shy persona leaked back into place.

"Uh…" Shinsou cut her off with his own half-assed answer.

"No. we're not dating, not yet anyway." He winked teasingly at the tomato red teen. For a zombie, Midnight had to admit, he was pretty talented at flirting. She observed as Izuki struggled to remain calm and reply back. The sexy hero realized two things in that moment. One, Izuki might actually like this quirky weirdo, and two, he was highly attracted to Izuki. Midnight's personal Sludgy Blonde Boy X Izuki ship was suddenly repainted with a special coating called Infatuated Zombie Prince. She looked at the boy in a new light. He would look slightly better if his tiredness and absent-mindedness was erased. If his hair was combed and she threw on a suit, he might even be handsome.

"Hello? Earth to Kayama!" A slightly tanned hand waved obnoxiously in front of her, directly obstructing her vision. Midnight snapped to attention and refocused on the teenage pair.

"Where'd Shinsou go?" Izuki rolled her eyes at the undedicated adult.

"He had to leave, but we still need to talk." Midnight's brain remained in the fuzzy daze.

"About what?" Izuki puffed out a long sigh and plopped down on a shaky stool of tires. A small sand mountain shifted to support her weight.

"Today's February 25th, so…" This time Midnight was completely pulled from her dream-like state.

"Oh shit! Exam day!" As if it agreed with the exclamation, her hair tangled wildly in the wind. Izuki prompted her with a cheeky smile,

"Don't you have, I don't know...some inspirational advice for me or something?" Midnight straightened her shoulders comically and composed her face into something solemn and serious. Her gaze remained on the teenage girl standing before her.

"Uh...you've made me proud and stuff. I know you'll be an excellent hero someday because you're already a good one. Go out there and show them who's boss!" Even though the speech was rushed and didn't have the most sentimental value, Izuki teared up. If possible Izuki's reverence of Midnight increased, and her smile held all the admiration and joy of both a fangirl and a pupil. Her mentor grinned at her and rewired her mood too, instead of being comical, she became genuine and proud for once. She acknowledged the teenager with respect.

"Be unique as only you can be." The orange tips of sunset gave the perfect backdrop for the heroically cheesy encouragement. The underdressed adult then leaned forward and embraced Izuki with as much sincerity as she could muster. When the two separated, they looked at each other with mutual care and humility. They stayed on the beach for a while, reflecting that in these ten short months they had improved so greatly. Neither hero, nor student, would ever be the same.

…..

February 26th, exam day. She tried in several ways to suppress her nervousness, but she only shook harder. She satisfied herself by observing her surroundings. Yuuei High was packed with every type of student. Even mutant type quirks didn't stand out as much here as they normally would. Izuki had to remind herself that a frog person and an alien girl chatting was perfectly normal in a place like this. Soon however, she became too distracted by those around her. One of the students in the messy throng brushed past her too quickly. He turned back to smirk at her as she fell.

"Better watch where you step Deku." Although he seemed to be acting like a bully again, Izuki saw a familiar glint in his eye that meant he was joking. She gasped as he caught her and smiled. He actually smiled. She could only gap at the entirely different behavior he displayed. He hadn't looked so carefree since they were five. He read her expression and chuckled knowingly.

"Surprised are you? What'd you expect?" Just as she was about to answer, Yuuei's intercom interrupted to announce the beginning of the exam's instructions. Bakugou walked briskly away. She followed before he could object. He was faster though, and she was left to wander the auditorium looking for a seat. With people everywhere, spots were few and far in between. Her scanning eyes landed on an almost empty row. She made her way down to it and hastily sat next to a familiar ash-blonde teen.

"Hey extra, you just sat in my spark zone! If you want to live you should sit somewhere else!" Izuki sighed at Bakugou's poor observation.

"Hello to you too Kacchan." Bakugou jerked back in surprise, but, before he could get out a response, the booming voice of Present Mic asked for attention. The strikingly loud pro wallowed after each attempt to hype the crowd failed. Bakugou groaned when he mentioned the written part. The other part however, caused him to become the egomaniac he could sometimes be. It was a point-based system for destruction. Say the word "destruction" and it guaranteed Bakugou to be psyched. He wore one of those evil-looking smiles only he could pull off. A tall black-haired preppy kid suddenly stood up.

"How exactly is destruction a proper assessment for heroes?" Present Mic grinned fanatically as if he was waiting for someone to ask that question.

"Well kid, you won't actually be destroying anything. We just have some attack androids that rate the strength of your attack whenever you hit them. The people with the most points of attack will be ranked highest, and the top fourty kids will pass the exam. Of course there are possibilities to enter Yuuei through the recommendation tests as well." The spike blonde pro went on to explain that different spots on the androids gave higher points, and that the androids had rankings themselves. The highest difficulty android gave the highest points and so on. Also, for some unknown reason, there were a few no-pointers thrown in the mix. Present Mic made sure to emphasize how much those ones were a waste of time. Then, he told everyone to split into the groups assigned to them on their entrance cards.

The crowd dispersed and Izuki was ripped from all the comfort that came with sitting next to an overconfident person. Sure Bakugou had his downfalls, but he had also provided her with a sufficient distraction from her overwhelming nerves. The sea of students flowing around her added to the paranoia. She struggled to maintain her cool exterior, and slowly moved with the daunting masses. Izuki fell in with her designated section and converged upon a ginormous, steel-enforced gate.

The doors had the Yuuei symbol casted into them. The intercoms were plastered along the top of two tall concrete pillars that held the metal doorframe. Her eyes drifted to the hopeful and nervous teenagers in front. Finally, she found the preppy boy from earlier. Just as Izuki started pushing her way through the crowd, the intercom blared and the gate slid open. She didn't wait for the go, but instead moved along with the inching doors and ran. Her hair bounced and tangled on her shoulders as she rushed past a few other jogging adolescents. The cast iron doors finished opening with a squeal. As if on queue, the first green of spray-painted androids rose up in the distance. She realized then just how far ahead she was of everyone else.

Walking, jogging, sprinting; escaping the silicon grasp of android talons. Just the serrated arm blades were comparable to all of her skills. When she heard android, her brain pulled up the sweet, human-like ones from IRobot or Real Steel. She had never imagined they'd reach the terrifying sameness as the rusty-jointed ones from the Terminator.

By now, her shoes were worn down from all the non-heroic running she'd been doing. She considered fleeing fair game as half the time someone else was targeting the Android anyway. At least she didn't have to worry about her quirk being unfit for the test since, by the way these androids worked, the only quirks at a disadvantage were psychological ones, poor Shinsou was sure to fail.

Suddenly, the building beside her exploded apart. Concrete sprayed everywhere and tiny shards of gravel scraped her skin. The hulking green monster who'd split the stone swerved towards her. Fear racked her body and she shivered uncontrollably. Before she could run or find any bravery, a sparkling burst of light struck the android right where it hurt.

"Thanks for the distraction honey! We make a great team!" The person who'd produced the sparkling light wiggled his fingers in a girlish wave. She blinked twice at the mocking stranger and sprinted forward in a desperate panic. She needed points!

Her heels dug into the fake city's street and her mouth flew open. In the center of the sim city lay a hub of monstrous defeat. Metal limbs and gadgets were strewn across the pavement like a mechanic's workshop had been dumped into the square. The robotic antagonists didn't get there on their own. Several teens zig-zagged through the maze while activating an onslaught of quirks. The preppy boy was fighting his own battle as well. He used his speed quirk to gain momentum and get higher hit points. After hitting the androids weakest spots for easy add ups, he went on to search for more enemies while whispering his point value under breath. A number above fifty! Another person flew past shouting one above sixty. Finally, she heard explosions and Bakugou's voice ringing through the streets. He declared reaching seventy points! Izuki thought her fear was bad, but when Present Mic announced impending doom, her brain imploded.

"One minute left! Hurry it up out there kiddos!" All she had was a few points from a hit or two she'd landed on passing androids. She needed more points! She needed to pass! All thoughts halted when an ominous screech vibrated through the air. It filled her ears with rusty domination, her heart with dread. Before she could be sick, a crowd of fearful examinees pushed past her. They ran only to save their own lives, and forgot about everyone but themselves.

As the teens faded in the distance, Izuki stood frozen, staring at the intricately-wired mass in front of her. A shrill yell pumped blood into her pale face and sent adrenaline shivering through her spine. She snapped her gaze to a desperately struggling black-haired kid. It was the same dude that had spoken against Present Mic. He was now surrounded by a circle of blue and black painted androids. The one that blocked her way was a low-level green. She swatted it aside and lurched forward to assist the boy.

As she joined him in the circle, so did another bot. This one was a deep, velvety purple and its body was covered in a trail of sharp spikes. It was slightly larger than the other androids and along its spine, among the horrifying array of blades, was the bold and white number zero. It was a zero pointer android, but it looked like it should be worth at least ten points a hit. Realizing that the purple zero pointer made it impossible for her and the black-haired kid to win, she pushed him out of the circle and gestured for him to run. He hesitated for a moment, and in that short timeframe an android leaped forward to slice him in half. Before it could, Izuki grabbed its wrist and twisted it around so that its own blade could puncture it in the back. Then, she smacked it in the back of the head with her fist and shooed the boy away again. This time he didn't hesitate.

Spinning, Izuki extended her leg as far out as it would go and sweep-kicked half the circle of robots to the ground. She quickly pulled out some of their wiring while dodging attacks from the surviving bots. After a bunch of follow up punches and kicks, she faced only one more android. Its red-lighted eyes glowed eerily as it swiped at her mercilessly. She jumped over the embedded blades and twisted to grab its left leg. Pulling as hard as she could manage, she dislodged its leg and jumped back before it could swing at her again. As it regained its balance, Izuki dove for her own blade. She stole it, just in time, from the defeated husk of a blue android.

She assessed the weaknesses of the robotic assassin by dodging and hitting at different points each time. She finally discovered that the android never exposed its back. Understanding lit her gaze when she achieved a closer look. The androids main wiring ran underneath the protective layer of sharp spikes. If she placed her fingers just right, the simultaneous activation of her quirk and the stabbing of the blade into its spine would deactivate the android and allow her to escape. Distracted by this exciting discovery, Izuki failed to block an absent swing of the android's blade, and it poked straight through her ankle. Gritting her teeth to refrain from screaming, Izuki used the advantage she now held over the struggling robot, lodging her sword as deep as it would go into the android's wired spine. Then, she placed her hand on the twitching back of the expensive training tool and activated her quirk.

The technology that served to give points based on a quirks attack power worked against the android now. It absorbed Izuki's quirk much easier and faster than normal. Soon, the android was only a pile of silver and violet metal dust on the ground. Izuki wanted to smile, but the android's blade had still been stuck through her ankle when she'd used her quirk and now it was covered in metal ash and bleeding extremely badly. She grimaced as she realized that all she'd gotten was a few more points from the blue and black androids that had surrounded the black-haired kid earlier. She had failed the exam because that stupid zero pointer gave her nothing but pain for all her efforts. Finally, a famous nurse hero, Izuki knew as Recovery Girl, approached with a pitying frown.

"Poor girl's got bleeding pores." She whisped a hand over Izuki's ankle and as fast as the wound appeared, it was gone. Then, she opened Izuki's mouth and clicked her tongue solemnly. Recovery Girl tipped Izuki's chin up and looked her in the eyes.

"I'm afraid you won't be able to talk for awhile. Your tongue's nerves have been partially fried. Your ankle will be fine though." Izuki started to feel unusually tired. Her adrenaline was burnt through and her tongue felt like it was on fire. She was glad, at least, that there wasn't any permanent damage. She gave a nonverbal thank you to the nurse and headed off.

When she returned to her room later, a debate started in her skull and her panic rose from within like a monster, fed by anxiety. She banged her head against her desk in frustration, but quickly stopped when her mom gave a concerned yell. Instead, she waited with a massive pit of uncertainty wiping the emotions from her face. Izuki prayed and hoped that the unforgiving gods would grant her the only thing she ever truly wished for. Her wish to become a hero.

**AN:** **I'm back, and I'm happy to be here(not that Jada did bad or anything). This is my first time writing a long action sequence, so I need criticism more than ever. Please tell me if there's something wrong, grammatically incorrect, or confusing. Thank you for reading!**


	7. 7: Yuuei's Youth

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own BNHA/MHA or any of its characters, but I certainly wish I did. :)**

**AN: Urgh, do you remember when I said I'd veer further away from cannon. Well, I'm trying and it does get pretty far of course at some spots, but I really like some parts of the original so I'm keeping them. Otherwise, enjoy!**

**Chapter 7: Yuuei's Youth **

She felt claustrophobic, having been stuffed in her room for days, but she didn't want to leave until she knew her exam results. Like Shinsou, she did sign up for General Studies as well, just in case, but, in her mind the Hero Course was still the best way toward achieving her dreams. Izuki's nervous fret was what kept her in her room, she knew her anxiety would only put pressure on her fragile mother, and this state of hers wouldn't change until she got notified. She hoped, by some impossible miracle, that she passed.

An excited squeal inadvertently alerted her to the letter's arrival. Dismissing her apprehensive mother from the room, Izuki pulled a black box from the mail, examining the digital divide with nervous curiosity. She retched back in surprise when a holographic figure of All Might appeared.

"I am here...to tell you of your new greatest achievement that others will envy! You, Midoriya Izuki, have passed the Yuuei Exam!" Before Izuki could start the celebration, he interrupted her with a booming continuation.

"You may be wondering how you did it. Well, even though you began quite rockily, your score improved in fighting skill, technique, and rescue points when you faced the Zero Pointer and saved young Iida. Your combined abilities were more than enough to gain acceptance. Good job Midoriya, I can't wait to see you in my class!" Suddenly, the screen morphed into another miniature video sequence with Iida addressing the judge's column. He stopped in front of Present Mic.

"Excuse me, do you know the messy-haired girl who aided me?" The heroes nodded, and he gave them a determined stare.

"Could I gift her some of my points, I wasn't acting heroically and yet she didn't judge my reaction to the simulated bots. I think she deserves my points more than I do." The boy, who she now knew as Iida, spoke with clear conviction, ready to debate with the ones in control. Present Mic grinned and put up a hand.

"That's generous of you, but the charity isn't needed, nor is it allowed." He finished explaining things and Iida eventually left, although he seemed unsatisfied. Izuki meanwhile, was surprised that her risk paid off, and eternally glad that the thing called Rescue Points existed in this competition-based business. After a ten minute self-joy basking party, she went out with a smile, deciding to recondition her muscles. They needed movement and oxygen.

As soon as she left her room, her mother was there. Izuki noticed that she looked poised and ready to comfort her. Inko believed her daughter didn't pass the entrance exam. Izuki wallowed for a few moments about the fact that her mother apparently had no faith, but she did as she'd gotten used to over the years and looked past the subtle rejection. Her mother's genuine surprise hurt her even more, but she didn't show it. They embraced for a while and Inko declared a victory feast. Izuki smiled, but her heart cracked a little at each recalled memory. It was only a matter of time before it completely fell apart.

…...

Izuki was on the search for Class 1-A. She passed a guy with white patches around his eyes and shark-sharp teeth. She pivoted to ask for directions, but abruptly remembered her current lack of the ability to speak. Even if the dude knew sign language, she only knew a bit herself and didn't want the lines to get blurred. So, turning back toward the unknown, she marched onwards. She came to a towering door with astonishment. It was way too huge for a high school, she thought. Izuki reasoned that it was probably installed for Yuuei's own purpose of ease with the varying types of quirk their students and teachers have. She entered using the smaller of the two doors, and inside she found a most interesting scene.

Bakugou was sitting with his legs kicked up on his desk, wearing a condescending smirk. Iida looked seriously pissed, but in a subtle kind of way. His brows were drawn together in frustration and his voice was set with prickles. She was a tad scared to interrupt. Before she could make a full approach however, the preppy Iida saw her and immediately zoomed over. He extended a hand stiffly.

"Iida Tenya, from-" Midoriya cut him off by putting up her hands and gesturing to Bakugou, it was meant to indicate she'd already heard. Iida continued by asking her name, but she couldn't answer so she signed hopefully, "can't speak" wanting someone to understand. To her surprise, the translator came from behind.

"She said she can't speak." While Izuki stood, thoroughly shocked, more students sat in their seats and the translator bobbed her head to the side. Brown locks of hair slid over her face as she smiled tentatively, gesturing to herself.

"I'm Uraraka Ochaco, what's your name." She gracefully signed along with her speech to be polite to Izuki, and probably partially out of habit. Izuki grinned back and spoke in their mutual language of silence.

"I'm-" Izuki cut off when she saw a mysterious yellow blob poking out from behind Uraraka. All the students observed in horror as the caterpillar-like thing unfolded to reveal an overly-exhausted zombie of a man. Izuki thought briefly that she might have recognized him, but she couldn't place it. He pushed past them rudely and dragged himself to the front of the classroom.

"If all of you could sit your asses down, that would be nice." He waited for a few moments, blinking in a slow, methodical way.

"I'm Aizawa Shouta, your homeroom teacher." Several students gasped their dissatisfaction, someone as unfocused and drowsy as him wasn't what they expected from the revered Yuuei High. After all the obnoxious opinions were stated, Aizawa-Sensei spoke again, disregarding their rude comments.

"Follow me please." He left without changing his expression or checking to see if they tagged along like good kids. Luckily, with no one else to lead them, the class did as he ordered, and exited the safety of their shiny-new homeroom chairs.

…

The school's campus was overwhelmingly humongous. At the moment, the students stood clumped together, for security, on the obstacle-ridden yard. Aizawa appeared almost excited, but his scarf covered his mouth so no one could tell for sure. The color-absent fabric didn't muffle his voice, which made her wonder what it was made of.

"Does anyone remember the physical tests they had you do in junior high?" After about half of them nodded, he pointed at Bakugou expectantly.

"What was the furthest you could throw a ball?" He muttered the number reluctantly, a tik working under his jaw. The teacher then asked Bakugou to step forward.

"Alright, now do the same thing, but use your quirk to make it go as far as possible." Bakugou's face lit up almost as much as his palms. He chucked the ball enthusiastically, lighting up his quirk at the last second. The students gaped in appreciation. His throw was well enough to reach a whopping 702.3 meters. Aizawa gave them their example on how quirks can be used to enhance physical abilities, and they used that to get through his tests.

"The person who places last will be immediately expelled." Most everyone gasped and their expressions changed to ones of determination. He led them to the starting line, which was a short-distance sprint. Izuki feared that all the tests would give her a disadvantage as her quirk was more mental than physical. Before she could think too much, the trials began.

…

She tried her best without using her quirk, and she did get ahead of some people, but, like she'd predicted, most of them were based on strength and endurance enhanced by physical quirks. So while each of the other students found a field to dominate in, she was left to worry about simply placing second-to-last. Finally, they came to the ball throw, and, for a time, it looked like nobody would beat Bakugou, but that didn't last. Uraraka sent it flying into infinity, and it earned her a competitive glance from Izuki's favorite ash-blonde. Izuki knew she couldn't beat Uraraka's score, but she still stepped up to the plate, scrunching her brow in concentration. She needed all the points she could get. Izuki wound up her arm, and threw it as far as she could. It landed pitifully on the ground only meters away. That's when she noticed the odd tingling sensation in her nerves. Izuki glance behind her and suddenly knew exactly what was happening to her. Aizawa was erasing her quirk. Oh, _crap_.

Her power had been in dormancy before and she hadn't stopped using suppressants yet, but Aizawa couldn't have known. He also wouldn't guess that her quirk activated in succession to her nerves and therefore flowed through her very soul, ingraining itself on her, so anything that was used against her quirk was enacted on her body as well. Of course, she didn't blame Aizawa for what occurred next; he didn't know the depth of her quirk's connection to her body. Since the drugs and the partially unbroken dormancy were interlaced with her quirk, shutting it off allowed all the negative effects of it to enter her blood stream.

The students watching got a fair fright when her veins began turning black and the grass around her drooped in death. She convulsed from the absence of her most important asset, her nerves, and therefore, her brain. The blades around her crumpled to dust as she tried to suppress the seizure that worked its way up her spine. It was just about to start degrading when suddenly, the pain vanished. She moved tentatively, stretching and standing up shakyly. Izuki turned to Mr. Aizawa, saw the terror and regret on his face, and quickly signed to Uraraka, giving her teacher an apprehensive smile.

"Just don't do that again and we'll be good, Eraserhead." Everyone took their time in composing themselves, only refocusing when she plucked another ball from the dirt, tossing it back and forth between her hands. She then used the idea that she'd prepared for this test while observing her classmates stances. She the pressurized oxygen that surrounded her palm's nerves and set the baseball in her hand. Without the introduction of new oxygen, the pressure tried to fill her newly created vacuum, but couldn't succeed because of its ball-blocked pathway. Naturally, the ball couldn't be pulled into her pores, so instead it acted on the air around it, shooting outwards at top speed. It skidded to a halt at 702.4 meters. She'd barely beaten Bakugou's score.

Izuki impulsively looked at him, knowing he'd be at least slightly angry by her sudden achievement. She was shocked to find that his face was pale and his eyes trailed onto her every move with deep worry. He muttered to her softly when she approached.

"Don't ever do that again Deku, _never_ again." At first she thought he meant succeeding, but the look in his eyes said otherwise. Her fleeting pain had clearly scared him even more than it did herself. She didn't give him an answer, but instead left the yard in pursuit of the infirmary. There, Recovery Girl was waiting with her usual smile. The nurse gave her a lecture on hurting herself and told Izuki that Aizawa probably felt much more guilty about what had happened than he let on. Once again, she found herself thinking that the only reason for her success, was another person's pity.

…...

At the end of the day, she walked quietly away from Yuuei's campus. Before she could leave, Iida raced up to her purposefully.

"I believe I still don't know your name miss." She smiled and shrugged. He adjusted his glasses and gave a quick bow.

"Please excuse my impoliteness in forgetting your current predicament. Perhaps I can attempt to guess it?" She grinned and patted his shoulder to let him know he was forgiven. She sometimes forgot the restriction herself. Suddenly, a brown-haired blurr raced over, shouting out enthusiastically.

"Deku!" Uraraka waved to the awkwardly silent pair. They waited as she skidded to a halt and put a finger on her lips questionably.

"Your name _is_ Deku right? I heard Bakugou call you that earlier." Izuki cringed and started signing.

"My name isn't Deku, that's more of a...nickname Kacchan gave me." Uraraka quickly translated to Iida and they both shared a thought. Her and Bakugou must be close to have such teasing names for each other. They waited for the green-haired girl to continue.

"I'm known as Midoriya Izuki." She signed her name with the ease of practice. The newly acquainted group shook hands and headed off together. Izuki felt a thrill in her heart as she had achieved something she never would've dreamed of. She'd found real friendship, and an opportunity for teamwork.

…

"So, since you know him, I don't need to introduce Class 1-A's new Hero Training Course teacher." Aizawa gestured to the door as a colorfully clad blonde burst through it. Izuki almost went crazy with excitement. The number one hero was here, to teach _this _class! She knew All Might was going to work here from the exam letters, but being here and actually mentoring the freshman was a whole different ballpark.

"I am here! Coming through the door like a hero!" He shouted over-zealously and then muttered under his breath.

"...and not paying for the damages." The class cheered and got even louder when he asked them to calm down. Teenagers, so rebellious. He ordered them to grab their hero suits, which were apparently completed by the support class, and meet him in the fake city. He said they'd know it when they saw it. Class 1-A happily collected their costumes and simultaneously entered their assigned locker rooms, Izuki felt like the only one with dread. She was sure Midnight's company wouldn't send her a modest cloak like they'd promised. She gasped in relief when the case popped open.

The costume Midnight had chosen to send her was all green with Japanese-style leaves curling in golden stems along the pieces curves. It was in five parts. The top was a supportive bra with a gold band across the bottom and leaves around the breast pads. Second, was a skirt with pocketed spandex underneath and fish-net stockings to "cover" her legs. The boots were stylish and comfortable with gold-plated soles and dark green padding. Next, were her gloves. They matched the boots style and were easy to remove. Lastly, was the cloak. It loosely enmeshed her, but could not be taken off unless she wanted to do so. It was attached securely by a golden leaf-shaped brooch. If it got windy, she suspected that her legs would probably show, but otherwise, it wasn't too embarrassing to wear. The company had also included a gold mask, similar to Midnight's red one, and a gold ribbon to tie up her hair. With her cloak's hood swaying rhythmically against her shoulders, Izuki merged with the marching crowd of flashily-dressed heroes-in-training. Uraraka approached her with a nervous gate.

"I should've asked for a cloak too, my suit is way too skintight." Izuki examined the pink-clad girl and nodded in agreement. Her arms were placed protectively over her exposed curves. Izuki signed,

"Flashy outfits these days are a must have, especially for female heroes, but I still enjoy my privacy." She sighed and patted Uraraka in reassurance.

"It does look great on you though, no worries." The brunette blushed and thanked her, saying something along the lines of wanting to see what was under the cloak. Izuki shook her head with a rueful smile.

"I hope nobody does." Suddenly, as if to spite her, a grape-haired boy shot under her protective barrier and felt-up her thighs. He darted out again before she could catch him. Blushing furiously, Izuki balled her fists and went to pursue him. Delivery of a punishment however, was cut short when All Might began an explanation of the rules. He got halfway through when there came some interruptions. The blonde snow-plowed over them with his booming voice.

"This is my class, you will listen." He continued when the offensive inquiries halted. "The pairs will be split into heroes and villains who will face each other in a quirk on quirk battle. The villains will protect their lair and set traps for about two minutes. Then, the heroes will arrive to take them down by capturing them or touching their bomb. Your partners will be determined by lots!" There were a few outcries of dismay, but Izuki solved it by signing an explanation.

"Heroes are often thrown with a random team, so this method is the best option for a real life simulation." The outrage grew thinner and All Might drew the first of the sticks from the lottery. His face was set in a wide, sorta creepy, grin.

"Team A: Hero Team, Bakugou and Uraraka." Before Uraraka could react to her scarily temperamental partner, he listed off the next team.

"Team D: Villain Team, Midoriya and Iida." Once again, she found herself in a villain's shoes. Today was a day of spite, fury, and revenge. All Might listed a bunch of other teams, but Izuki gave up on listening. Instead she, both figuratively and literally, prepared her nerves for the upcoming face off.

**AN: Bada bum, I'm done. Thanks for reading!**


	8. 8: Villainous Views

**Disclaimer: I don't own the beauty called BNHA/MHA or its awesome characters**

**AN: Hello there little person who's gender, to me, is unknown(you may not even have one)! Here's this chapter that I wrote, I guess. You can enjoy it if you want. **

**Chapter 8: Villainous Views**

Iida, along with some other members of their class, had started learning sign language. She was touched that the trend was partially influenced by her temporary muteness, but she also figured all superheroes should be able to communicate with a range of victims, including deaf and mute ones. At the very least, their knowledge wouldn't go to waste.

Anyways, the basic signs were all she needed to formulate a plan with Iida. They moved the false bomb so that it'd block one of the doors, leaving the other area open for a trap.

Meanwhile, Uraraka was struggling to talk to the arrogant, and slightly narcissistic explosion hero. The battle team fighting simulation was not off to a good start, at least not for Team A. Uraraka dragged her feet after the frantically searching Bakugou. He set off randomly, and accelerated through the halls. His head whipped back and forth, and his piercing gaze passed over every possible hiding spot. Uraraka began to wonder if Izuki and Bakugou were actually friends, because the way the blonde acted made it seem otherwise. He had a clear disdain for all human beings that were weaker than his ego, or opposing of it. He didn't give exceptions to passive-aggressive types either. Uraraka concluded that "Deku" was his least favorite type of personality, and that maybe he hated Izuki simply because she was his weakness.

Bakugou suddenly turned a sharp corner and disappeared from her sight. She breathed out a heavy sigh. Sinking to the floor in exhaustion, Uraraka didn't even make an attempt at contacting her partner over the radio. She knew he wouldn't reply back. Instead, after pulling herself up, she continued at a comfortable pace. She hoped for everyone's sake that the fight wasn't over already.

A large boom sent her sprinting through a nearby door, joining the commotion in a fashionably late style. Iida guarded the rubble surrounded bomb, while Izuki dodged a barrage of blows from Bakugou by ducking behind pillars. Bakugou's bubbling frustration had caused the majority of the room's destruction.

Iida and Izuki accordingly planned for Bakugou's independence, and had laid a trap for him. Each time he fired, either the bomb received another layer of protection, or he created obstacles that made it difficult for anyone to navigate inside the cramped space. If he stopped rampaging, he'd be left open for a double attack, and become captured or stalled enough for time to run thin. The villains had every sort of advantage in this situation and Bakugou knew it.

He darted forward and grabbed Izuki, zipping past Uraraka as he left. Uraraka faced the glaring Iida. The engine boy looked slightly more shocked than she did, but he shook it off and laughed in the mocking tone of a villain.

"While she takes care of him, I'll give you a tour of the site of your doom!" He gestured stylishly to the crumbling ceiling above him and bent his fingers in the classic symbol that meant "bring it on". She smiled at his cheesy acting, but she went with it, her pink helmet gleaming as she took her first leaping step onto the rocky path to victory.

...

Izuki was annoyed and surprised. Even though he didn't carry her princess style, she was still embarrassed, and it showed. In an attempt to escape, she pounded her fists into his spine. He jerked back and instinctively let her fall to the floor. He cringed in pain and asked,

"What's your problem?" She signed frantically, but then recalled that he couldn't read the language. She sighed, and was about to start the trip back to Iida, when Bakugou stepped to block her with a menacing glare.

"Don't make the mistake of thinking I'll go easy on you just because we've been _reacquainted_." He flashed his canines maniacally. Izuki rolled her eyes and tried pushing past him unsuccessfully. She gave up, and began accessing the battlefield.

No matter how much she'd trained recently, he was still more powerful. His strength was displayed on screen, for all to see, when he effectively punched her in the gut. She was winded, but quickly collected herself and perked back up, ponytail twitching along with her.

Izuki's green cloak swirled around her like a leafy blizzard. The parlour of her leg shone as she went in for a sweep kick. He side-stepped and fired an explosion onto her shoulder. She flew backward, scraping her skin on the sleek ground. Bakugou stalked toward her with a predatory gaze. His grinning face triggered a memory in her brain. Kacchan always started his attacks with a left hook. She flipped forward impulsively, standing to face him. He did just as she predicted.

Izuki skillfully ducked under his shoulder. She grabbed his arm firmly and used the momentum to flip him over her head. He thumped into the ground like a sack of dropped flour, breath escaping in a hard gasp. He snarled in pain and shot at her from the floor. Thanks to his failed attempts, time was on her side. She filled the hallway with the screech of sprinting boots.

A hand snatched her escaping ankle and pulled her down. Bakugou crawled over her legs and pinned her. He sent a montage of flaming attacks into her back. Since she couldn't scream, her pain disappeared into empty nothingness. Tears pooled on the slick concrete. She gritted her teeth, clenched her jaw, and tightened her core. Her strained body somehow lifted from the floor and curled around Bakugou's. She threw him off and ran for her life.

The sparky teen scrambled after her in an excited haze. His eyes were aflame with the rushed, fiery fuel of competition. Izuki dashed away. Her hope shattered as she came to a dead end. The real room of doom stood before her. Bakugou entered, and they created a dance of glittering madness.

The battle zone became its own version of the Fields of Punishment. Izuki's costume felt hot and heavy, her haphazard cape keeping her sweat inside. Her opponent almost did her a favor when he littered the air with deadly fire. The series of attacks loosed her golden brooch and her cloak fell to the floor.

With her movements freed, she sped across the room and landed a few retaliation hits on Bakugou. He pulled his left arm back in preparation for his signature punch. She dodged accordingly, but was shocked to see Bakugou change trajectory in midair and hit her in the already-injured spot of her back. Flames grew dramatically, providing them with a searing orange and yellow stage. Smoke shrouded their vision and smudged their faces with grime.

They circled each other again, looking for any sign of weakness. The wires connected in Izuki's brain just as Bakugou aimed a sweat-filled gauntlet at her. He smirked.

"You know how my quirk works, so you know you're dead Deku." That's when she knew, she fucked up.

"You should dodge if you want to live. If you don't, well…" He tipped his head sideways in a scary-cute way while a smile spread over his features. She heard a click, and time stopped.

Izuki knew that she'd inadvertently activated the nerves in her brain, making time seem as malleable as rubber. She'd never used her quirk to enhance herself, and she smiled. Her quirk was physical in its own way. She stole a breath of air, and glanced around, paying careful attention to the building explosion in Bakugou's fist. First, she ducked, finding a secure place to flatten her body and remain unaffected by the blast. Then, she had the worst best idea. She found a medium-sized boulder and threw it, using the same pressure she'd used in Aizawa's test to propel it right into Bakugou's glove. Time reverted back to normal, and Bakugou exploded.

The force sent both of them into extremely comfortable, sharp, concrete piles of rocks. Bakugou got the worst of it when he fell onto his back and jarred the rock blocking his blast, and his quirk took effect on the ceiling. She gasped as it collapsed onto him, covering him in a stony prison.

...

Iida imitated a villain's growl, snarling at Uraraka and looking for a way to end this. He added in an evil-sounding line, while scanning the room.

"I'm not sorry hero." He smirked and ignited his engines, speeding forward to trip the brunette. Uraraka took the gravity from some of the rocks around her, making the space around her into a minefield. He boosted away in frustration, cursing her quick thinking. Why did he always have to be a step behind the best? He shook his thoughts away and peered around more hopefully. His gaze fell upon Uraraka's planetary ring, and he got an idea that made him have a purposeful smirk for once.

Iida zoomed around the ring speedily, creating a miniature tornado The ungravitized stones spun with his vortex, flying toward the person who stole their weight. Uraraka groaned as several rocks bruised her side, and sent her into the fetal position. Iida stopped before he could hurt her too much, and layered her with the bright capture tape. The round ended a few seconds after, and he helped Uraraka up, thanking her for a worthy battle.

...

All Might had to pull Izuki away when she finally removed all the rocks. The pro's face reflected her worry as he picked up the ash blonde and gave him over to Recovery Girl. After Bakugou was wheeled away, he replastered a smile to his features and addressed the students with his familiar unwavering voice. His smile did its job, and the tension faded.

"Now!" He clapped his hands together dramatically. "Who can tell me the student that most succeeded in this match?" Izuki backed away as Yoayorozu piped up. She escaped to the infirmary. The nurse greeted her with a strict demand.

"Young lady, I hope I won't be seeing you here _everyday_." Izuki shook her head, and indicated that she was only there to check up on Bakugou. Recovery Girl sighed and left her alone with the sleeping boy.

"He doesn't deserve you hon." Izuki sat on the edge of Bakugou's gurney, waiting for him to regain consciousness. He stubbornly slept away, sometimes shouting at an unknown enemy. She sighed and let her head rest on his lap.

...

Bakugou had never been to the hospital, and he'd always thought going would be a waste of time. His opinion changed when he woke, a fluffy green blob snoring in his lap. He wondered how she could trust him enough to be so vulnerable. It was gratifying and kind of scary. He shook his head. Her innocence was her fatal flaw, and she'd have to lose it soon if she wanted to survive in such a corrupt world. Grunting and looking away from the light in his lap, he slipped away, trying not to wake the girl as he left.

Just as he was about to slide through the door, Izuki stood. She frantically signed, and all he caught was the word "worry". He snarled angrily at her, hating that she was so attached to him. He didn't need to start becoming soft because of her. He had a reputation to maintain.

"Don't fucking worry about me! I don't need your pity" He huffed and fast-walked out, heels scuffing the earth.

...

Izuki sighed sadly and stored Bakugou's misunderstanding in the growing bin of misfortunes she hauled around. The glue on her heart grew thinner every day. The face she confidently wore now felt like a burden. Why couldn't she ever share how she truly felt? She was a blank slate. The habitual tears she'd been holding in for the past ten months all came out in that moment, creating a disgusting waterfall of despair.

Just when she'd came to appreciate the relief of locking away emotions, they decided to burst out anyways. She swiped at her watery eyes and her face curled in disgust. She vowed to cry only happy tears from then on, as if it'd ever happen, and she wore a smile. The fake grin lit up a dark light in everything, making a black curtain of depression swing over her in a ghoulish haze.

**AN: I'm gonna be a little something different in the end author notes now. If you're wondering what it is, here's an example.**

**Todoroki Enji: Endeavor フレイムヒーロー エンデヴァー**

**-Father to Shouto, Natsuo, Touya, and Fuyumi Todoroki**

**-Husband to Todoroki Rei**

**-Moved to the number one hero when All Might resigned **

**-He was born in August(like literally everyone evil you know)**

**-Everyone says his eye color is turquoise, but I've literally never seen him as a regular human before, so that's so far unconfirmed**

**-His quirk is Fire Everywhere, because he gets fire everywhere(Hellfire)**

**-He's basically Emboar **

**-He's a patron to all Quirk Marriages**

**-He has a creepy obsession with both his child and All Might's secret love child**

**-He is an asshole**

**Also people, if you want to know, I do have a Wattpad account where I write my original stories. ****Find me on Wattpad as JestForlorn, 32, or under the stories Oddball Academy, Rewind, or Before Death(deathnote fanfic). Thanks for reading!**


	9. 9: Attacking Antagonists

**Disclaimer: I do not own BNHA/MHA or any of its complex little children**

**AN: Lmao, I know I'm a lazy ass. I haven't posted in like 3.5 months, or something. Well, enjoy!**

**Chapter 9: Attacking Antagonists**

"Good results on your combat test the other day." Said Aizawa, acting as if the sudden mob of reporters outside was nothing. He regarded the teens.

"Bakugou, you're talented, don't waste it." He moved on before the blonde could get angry.

"Midoriya, you got hurt, _again_. If you fix that, you might make something of yourself." He paused, waiting for his words to sink in. His tone became suddenly serious.

"Alright, our first task will decide your future." His gullible pupils went purple with anticipation.

"You have to...choose your Class Representative." A simultaneous breath left them. It was normal school stuff. Chaos followed the briefness of order, and hands shot in the air. It became a power struggle for voters. Izuki was just about to join in on the party, but decided she'd rather not lead this crazy class. She wouldn't be able to meet their expectations with her current voice issue. Suddenly, Iida chopped the air, cutting the students' speeches with his own.

"Quiet, this is _not_ how we should behave! As the top class, we should know how to maintain order with the obvious choice of democratic voting." Tsuyu clicked her tongue at him, her bluntness unwavering.

"You just want us to vote for you, _kero_." Kaminari chimed in, his bumble-bee hair bouncing with the protest.

"Won't everyone just vote for themselves anyway?" Iida, who was still standing tall, replied to Kaminari's question with too much ease.

"Then those with several votes have earned them, don't you think?" His peers reluctantly agreed, and the ballots were pencilled in. The chalkboard displayed the results in white dust. Yaoyorozu claimed the presidency while Iida was assigned the role of staying inside her shadow of brilliance. His own honor had been the reason for failure.

...

The Lunch Rush cafeteria, a paradise for growing teens. Izuki could especially appreciate that she didn't have to sit alone. She found out that all the students were integrated into one lunch period, meaning that the Support, General, and Hero courses ate together. She flicked her eyes over the crowd, searching for her favorite cabbage head. She sat next to Shinsou without bothering to look elsewhere. He tiredly shoveled rice into his mouth without using chopsticks. He mumbled around his food without sparing a glance.

"You can't just sit wherever you know, that spot is taken." Rolling her eyes, she tapped him on the shoulder. Although his face stayed frozen and disheartened, Izuki could glimpse delight in his eyes. She face-palmed however, when he playfully winked her way. She blushed a little, but hid the fact by focusing on the two who had joined their table. She waved happily to them while Shinsou picked up his chopsticks, directing them at the pair.

"Who are they?" Izuki set down the food she was eating in case she needed to join the conversation. Iida stood up and extended a hand in greeting.

"Iida Tenya, proud member of the Iida Family Agency." Shinsou glanced at Iida's open palm, but he didn't take it. Shinsou drawled.

"So you're a rich kid with a heroic quick, such a nice life you've had." Izuki sent him a glare usually reserved for her neighbor's kids. He shrugged it off. Uraraka meanwhile stared down Iida, sparkling.

"I knew it! I knew you were a rich kid!" Iida balked, putting his hands up in mach surrender.

"I suppose I could be considered one, but I'm much prouder to be a supporter of my high-achieving brother." This time, it was Izuki's turn to pressure Iida. She signed her excitement.

"You're brother's Ingenium, isn't he? One of the most well-respected heroes, and popular with sidekicks!" Iida smiled proudly.

"Yes, that's–" His sentence was left unfinished because of an obnoxious blaring. The students were driven crazy with panic. Shinsou took her under with him at their table, leaving the others in the crowd. Izuki clawed at her chest as anxiety rose. Her heart felt like it'd rip from inside and get trampled by the ever-shifting pressure of feet. While her pulse increased, and her finger twitched in the start of an attack, Shinsou reached over a hesitant hand. She took it, squeezing in pattern with her breath. The space was limited, piling claustrophobia, like an over-sweet cherry, on top of it all.

Now that the recipe for disaster was in full swing, reckless leadership followed. Shinsou pushed away from Izuki, popping out from under the table. He scrambled onto it, standing tall. He used the first voice fluctuation he had in years.

"Will you CALM THE FUCK DOWN ?!" As he hoped, some from the crowd actually answered. Shinsou, albeit recklessly, activated his quirk. The strain on his brain wasn't something he'd ever get used to.

"_Shut up and go, in a calm single-file line, to your next class."_ The brain-washed students did as he asked, those unaffected too confused to resist his order. In a high of gratitude, Izuki darted out from under the table, gifting him a kiss on the cheek. She blushed and signed "thank you", her tomato red face quickly vanishing into the crowd. She left Shinsou's brain in an even worse state than it'd been.

...

The class was greeted dully by Aizawa, and told they'd be doing rescue training with the pros on sight. They were then led, by the over-enthusiastic Iida, onto the campus shuttle. The open-seat arrangement provided the perfect atmosphere for a group "discussion" to take place. Tsuyu was the first to smash the silence barrier.

"Izuki, your quirk is a lot like a villain's, isn't it?" Izuki looked around in uncertainty. Kirishima pinned Tsuyu with his words.

"That doesn't matter because she clearly aims to be a hero." She grinned, having the sudden urge to hug the redhead for his kindness. Tsuyu nodded, but pondered with a finger on her chin.

"Yeah, but her quirk is still scary powerful. I mean, what doesn't it affect?" There were a few murmurs of agreement. Izuki sighed, answering slowly.

"It doesn't affect anything _I_ create, and doing anything past nerve damage causes it to backfire." She pointed to her tongue as an example. Kirishima looked to his hardened arm dejectedly.

"I wish my quirk was as flashy as Todoroki's, Bakugou's, or yours." I'll have issues being popular with such a common and dull ability." Izuki shook her head reassuringly, signing with Uraraka's aid.

"No, your quirk is super cool, and perfect for a strong hero!" Kiri blushed a little and looked at his hands.

"You really think so?" And suddenly, the whole bus had turned into a comforting place to share ideas about each other's quirks. It was only quelled when Bakugou got annoyed.

"Shut the fuck up, you're giving me a headache!" Tsuyu clicked her tongue at him like a disappointed sensei.

"Your quirk may be flashy, but with a personality like that, you won't ever be popular." Most everyone gave her a mental high-five while Bakugou raged to open air. Izuki smiled at the irony. Her old school bully was now the one getting teased. The students settled into laughter until the bus rolled to a stop, bringing them to a large, shimmering dome.

They entered with their curiosity brimming. Inside revealed a variety of landscapes: mountains, a lake, and a city. A puffy astronaut-person greeted them on their way in.

"Hi kids! Welcome to the Unforeseen Simulation Joint, or USJ for short!" The hero, Izuki recognized as Thirteen, continued.

"Alright, I have one thing to explain, or maybe two... or three." She straightened out her suit nervously. "Anyways, the most important part of being a hero is _helping_ people." The Space Hero paused and gestured to the area surrounding.

"Our job is to teach you how to rescue, and how to use your quirk for a positive outcome. Because, as all of you should know, quirks can both save and _kill_." Thirteen let the air saturate in seriousness. Izuki frowned, knowing better than anyone the way quirks wormed into your soul.

"It's our job as heroes to know how to fight villains _and_ protect the innocent. The number of citizens affected by us should _always_ stay at a minimum. That's why there's such a thing as rescue specialists, and why most of your training will be rescue based." The students clapped enthusiastically, and she bowed slowly before turning toward their training area. She grinned, breaking the tension with her awkwardness.

"Now let's get to it!" Her cheery voice pinged off the walls. It was quite the opposite of the ominous, deep purple hole that expanded in USJ's center. Everyone's gaze pinned to that swirling mass, and the class shivered in fear. A single hand came from within, pushing out like freedom was guaranteed. The hand was followed by a blue-haired man. He scratched at his neck, giving the shaking first-years a skeptical glance. His voice was like nails on a chalkboard.

...

This mysterious villain, who carried with him insanity-weighted air, wasn't much older than them. He addressed them as children though, his smile curling like splinters in their heart. His superiority complex went deep enough that he didn't even acknowledge them as opponents at first, but victims. He went in loops, saying he'd _kill All Might_; he'd _win the game_. He was used to getting what he wanted, and he was guided by a greater force. It made him believe finding an equal was impossible.

As she thought this, the hand-faced villain went for Aizawa, and his lackeys, the students. Kirishima and Bakugou were the first to act, sprinting straight into the purple mist and beginning a series of uncoordinated attacks. Right when they seemed to be making progress, the warp gate separated into several smaller vortexes.

His mist moved over the surface like water, untouchable. And the students could do nothing against such power, but try and avoid it. Almost none succeeded; the last on the field being Izuki, Aizawa, Thirteen, and Iida, who had smoking engines. Aizawa immediately turned to Iida as the army of villains continued to grow. He shouted over the panic.

"You're the fastest, fetch back up, quick!" Iida looked hesitant, but the thought of his struggling friends pushed him on.

"You can count on me!" He zipped out, leaving her and the two teachers to face the glaring bunch. Aizawa's scarf whipped out, and Thirteen uncapped one of her fingers. Izuki followed suit, drawing her arms back into a boxer's guard. Despite his appearance, Aizawa fought like a storm, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. He handled the mob like the pro he was, even sparing time to guard Izuki's back. Thirteen lived up to her name, using the power of the thirteen famous constellations to distract villains and drag them away from Aizawa. Every once and while, the space hero even used her pressurized force to fling someone like a cannonball into the crowd. The handsy guy got pissed as his protective ring fell like the Berlin Wall.

Izuki threw herself after every limb that came within ten feet, slowing anyone she could with light nerve damage. The obsessive amount of work Midnight barraged her with suddenly came in handy, and she felt like a storm herself, a depthless hurricane. But her instincts weren't all she would need, for the powerful warp gate rejoined the fight. He was on a whole new level.

His incomplete form crept over everything like fog. He was what truly made this an insane game, for his "limbs" moved his allies and enemies around like chess pieces. He was a cheater that couldn't be caught, a winner. His eyes glowed like he knew just how much he upset the balance. Soon, Aizawa was pushed toward the blue-haired man, while Thirteen was teleported by a bridge zone. The gate paid no mind to Izuki, leaving her to face the villains, previously divided between three people, alone.

She fought with all her might, hoping to make progress toward the teachers. Even if they were pros, two was always better than one. She glimpsed Aizawa's battle around the swinging shade of mob fists. He was tired, and the pale final boss knew it. The lead villain came forward with certainty, placing a hand on the teacher's elbow, while another villain had him pinned. Izuki gasped when Aizawa's skin began to crumple like paper, evaporating into flakes, and revealing the fleshy muscle beneath. Aizawa grunted and quickly backed into the ground, knocking out the villain on top of him. He met the blue-haired man's eyes right as he extended another palm.

The kid cried in outrage when his quirk didn't work, and Aizawa grabbed him, taking advantage of his tantrum. Aizawa pulled the guy into a headlock, and he squirmed frantically. Unfortunately, the kid's authority went further than just low-ranking villain's. He called forward a menacing black beast to slam against Aizawa. The blue kid easily freed himself. Izuki wondered why he hadn't showed off his duck before. As their fight went back and forth, leaning favorably toward the duck and his master, Izuki dispatched the last of the villains around her. Sadly, Thirteen was in an even worse situation than Aizawa, so Izuki went to help her first.

Thirteen was only partially there. The warp gate kept using her quirk against her, tearing the hero to pieces. The purple guy, however, did appear thinner than before, proving that Thirteen had done more than her share of damage. Izuki quickly ran up to her, but Thirteen saw her and screamed.

"No, stay back!" Izuki couldn't resist disobeying. Everything inside her was chaos, demanding she do whatever possible to save herself and anyone else. She could do nothing but follow the instincts. Her feet sent her forward, jumping and spinning through the air like a spider expertly crafting the grandest of webs. The portal guy did his best to face two opponents, but he was tired too. Suddenly, Izuki remembered the short battle Bakugou had initiated earlier against this guy. She saw the metal band over what could be called a neck. She smirked and dove for it.

That's when everything crumbled.

**AN: So, there it is, a rushed chapter. It's funny how I wrote this story and finished it, but I still update super slow. Sorry, ;) Thanks for reading, and sticking around!**

**P.s. For some reason I started thinking of Star Wars(I don't own it) when I was writing this, so here's something extra...**

**Anakin Skywalker Vs Midoriya Izuku **

**Both: **

**-have popular/ well-respected mentors**

**-fell for a woman they can't have**

**-gain their power at a later age than usual**

**-have a deep love for their mom**

**-wear awesome costumes**

**-gained a power by being "chosen" **

**-are heroes **

**-find their own path with the help of friends**

**-have a "destiny" that they alter positively **

**-will do almost anything for their dreams**

**-lived in small towns**

**-have an absent father**

**-overpower opponents with strength and strategy **

**-want to protect/save others**

**-live in a different universe**

**-are reckless with their own lives**

**-value all life and accept everyone**

**-live for the sake of others**


	10. 10: Competitive Companions

**Disclaimer: I am not the owner of BNHA/MHA or its characters **

**An: I am crazy. I am mad. I am my own worst enemy. **

**If you hadn't noticed, it's extremely close to Lethal Intent's one-year anniversary on this website. I am frustrated with myself because I haven't even posted the equivalent of one chapter per month. I am so lazy, and I hate myself right now. Well, I have this hurriedly-typed thing(two chapters in one month, yay). Don't worry, I'll be posting on the anniversary too, which is the 27th if you didn't know. That means there'll be a total of eleven chapters posted over a year's span. I think I'm starting to feel a little sick, so before I implode on myself, enjoy!**

**Chapter 10: Competitive Companions **

_A hand extending towards a head, _

_everyone frozen, blood, red._

_The grey hand crawling perch, _

_creepy smile, stomachs lurch. _

_A shot, blood,_

_A broken leg. _

_A grind, smash, hope knocked: _

_down a peg. _

_The shaky leader joyous from the arrival of All Might._

_The worst of wrongs twisted right. _

_The children warmed by his radiant smile, _

_the happiness slain by villainous denial. _

_..._

All Might grabbed the Nomu and began his first round of attacks. The creature's face took every pummel and, if possible, got even uglier. Then its skin magically repaired itself, leaving its onlookers in awe. The one in control of that prism of power laughed hysterically at the top hero's attempts.

"My Nomu is designed to take all of your power. The only way to possibly beat it would be to slowly gauge out its flesh." All Might smirked back.

"Thanks for the tip." Then, he went Plus Ultra on that duck. To Izuki it looked as if he might've even gone beyond. Predictably, the control freak got angry, yelling orders to his warp gate partner. Kurogiri stared back at him with a slightly despising look, but he stalked over to Shigaraki's side.

Izuki went to help Aizawa, hauling him away. Three boys shot passed her, joining the fight. Izuki figured they'd be fine, so she marched on. As she came to the foot of Thirteen's bridge however, a hand caught her by the throat, thrusting her backward. A scratchy voice chuckled in her ear.

"You thought you could get away that easily?" Izuki squirmed, picking at her captor's hands, but the angle was too awkward. Her legs flailed in empty air. She reached to tug his grey-blue hair. With nothing succeeding, she used her last resort, her quirk.

She grabbed his closest wrist, and let about 60% of her power flow through. He probably wouldn't die, but the damage would be permanent. Just as her veins turned black with overuse, the dry-lipped villain accidently placed all his fingers on her neck.

Their quirks clashed with crackling intensity, fighting for dominance. A hero and villain met on par, the game a stalemate. Their similar powers meant they had similar limits, but Izuki soon shattered that. They were only equals only as long as she held back.

She stretched the mental chains of dormancy as far as they'd go, brain straining. With the Librium unbalanced, Izuki slipped from his grasp, landing on the ground behind Todoroki. She knew it'd be all over if her adrenaline died now, so she pushed onward before the quirk overdose could incapacitate her.

In the dedicated movements of any INFJ-A, she thought of others first, doing the one thing she could. She threw herself at Shigaraki, restraining him with all the power she could muster. Unfortunately, he could still give orders. She felt herself retreating, once again, to the useless Deku hole where she belonged. While she pondered her worth, a group of heroes came to help, Iida at their head.

Snipe fired straight through Shigaraki's arm. She dropped him and stepped back, freeing him up for two more bullets. She glanced in All Might's direction and saw the black bird monster rocket through the roof. Meanwhile, the blonde superhero puffed out breaths of exhaustion. She watched him curiously until the teachers ordered them to leave after visiting the infirmary.

As she exited, she threw one last look over her shoulder, and her features widened. In All Might's stead was a scrawny frizzy-haired man. His blue gaze met hers, and he startled.

She disappeared before he could do anything else.

...

A few days passed, and the news of the USJ Incident spread like wildfire. Everyone feared one of the most popular events, the Yuuei Sports Festival, wouldn't go on. But Aizawa reassured them.

"We are, in fact, still going to be doing the Festival. Several teens muttered about unnecessary suspense, while others celebrated. Kirishima stood up excitedly while Mineta complained about the expectations of lazy adults. After the ruckus died out, the real discussion began, and they learned of the Festival's importance.

At the end of the period, the classroom doors were unexpectedly blocked by Class 1-B and General Studies students. Iida explained they were "scoping the competition", but nobody seemed to care. They all just aimed to prove Class 1-B's Monoma wrong about their arrogance. Bakugou however, had his own agenda. He pushed through obnoxiously.

"Move it extras, I have places to be!" Izuki rolled her eyes, following in his wake. She noticed a familiar head of purple in the crowd. She pushed over to him, grinning. Shinsou greeted her with a wink.

"Heya," He looked sideways at the departing Bakugou. "Doesn't he realize extras are an important part of any movie production?" Izuki huffed.

"As if." She signed. "He doesn't care enough to know that." Shinou nodded, pulling a thumb over his chin in a mocking gesture. He patted her head teasingly.

"Don't worry, I'll put him in his place during the Festival." Izuki snickered, rolling her eyes and signing sarcastically.

"Sure." They shared smiles and laughter at Bakugou's expense, walking down to the gates together.

...

The next two weeks consisted of nothing but training. Izuki got it extra hard because Midnight didn't know how much they did in the Hero Course, so she still gave Izuki an almost full workout schedule. Izuki felt like a ball, bouncing back and forth between class practice battles and Midnight's gym. Once every two to three days, she'd get a break, choosing to spend most at that time with Shinsou because she only got to see him during lunch. They became even better friends, and part-time rivals. Really, everyone in Class 1-A had became her family.

**...**

The annoying voice of Present Mic filled the stadium, and brought with it a round of cheers. Their homeroom teacher sat beside him with a disheartened look. After introducing the other classes, they announced Class 1-A's entrance, receiving deafening applause. Everyone knew about the USJ students. The warm-hearted welcome finally concluded when a sleek-haired hero stepped into the spotlight.

Midnight winked at her and cracked her whip theatrically. Izuki rolled her eyes as her mentor explained proper festival procedures. Then, she-called forward their "class rep", Bakugou Katsuki. He shoved to the front, resting his simmering gaze on the crowd of children with a smirk. He spoke with a low growl.

"I'm gonna win." Izuki facepalmed while most students roared in outrage, and the audience went wild. Midnight moved on, holding up a random choice board with the words "Obstacle Course" in awe-inspiring neon orange. Izuki thanked all the mighty gods. She couldn't recall how many times she'd run the courses at Midnight's gym. It was almost too good to be a coincidence. She'd have a little chat with Midnight later. For now though, she focused on the competition, readying herself at the game's starting tunnel.

The buzzer rang, and she had just enough time to get aboveground before the entire area became sheathed in ice. This time, she thanked her over-prepared self, and began "ice-skating" past those who were temporary works of art. She sent a teasing finger wave to the hilariously frozen Shinsou while gliding past a maze of generously frozen androids. Sadly, her relaxing rink morphed back into a dirt path, leading to a canyon.

The gap had a choice of wobbly platforms, or a trip up death string alley. Izuki chose the string, letting her acrobatic skills shine through. She made it across, feeling a little proud, as she held the lead over most of the participants. Bakugou and Todoroki were somewhere ahead, so she amped up the dust.

She smirked as the next challenge came into sight. It was a minefield, spaced exactly like the floating lilies Midnight had drilled her over _so many_ times. This however, would be even easier as she could aim for the large space between the mines instead of the mines themselves.

Even the flexible Tsuyu wouldv'e gaped in shock to witness Izuki's expertly timed consecutive backflips. Izuki was a smidge frustrated that her hair had come undone, meaning she had to tilt her head in a bit so it wouldn't set off the explosives. Unfortunately, her adjustment caused her leg to land slightly off-center, sending her cartwheeling right into Todoroki.

Bakugou laughed at their expense and easily strutted over the finish line. Todoroki and her untangled awkwardly, leaving no time to get flustered. Izuki scrambled to her feet, stooping to help Todoroki tup as well. He raised a questioning brow, and she remembered it was a competition. Whatever, _heroes would be heroes_. Just as the pair prepared to make a run for it, Izuki felt a pain flare up in her hamstring. She grunted, stumbling into Todoroki again. Todoroki caught her that time, and placed her on his shoulders. She smiled in gratitude as they stole second place.

She thanked Todoroki with a half-hug that made him tense up. He nodded to acknowledge her, and the both waited in uncomfortable silence for their classmates to finish. The elimination bell rang with everyone from Class 1-A barely skimming through. Students from the second hero class snickered at the last place finishing student, who was still puffing his exhaustion, Aoyama.

Izuki grinned at her classmates, and Shinsou, who'd all made her proud. She glance around self-consciously, finally realizing the way an audience could piece her. She was extremely glad when Midnight stole the spotlight, explaining the next part of the Sports Festival, which was called "Mecha Showdown".

"The students will be put into teams of three to five, co-piloting a Mech together. Each of the teams will have a certain amount of attack and defense points. The objective is to attack the least amount possible while gaining the most possible points. The amount of points your team has is determined by what place you finished." She paused to snicker maliciously at them, her eyes glowing a dangerous color.

"The first place winner gets 5 million of each type, meaning, if you bring his team down before he gets attacks in, you'll get 10 million points." Immediately Bakugou was pierced by greedy stares that made her glad she hadn't won. Midnight grinned at their eagerness.

"Alright, the time to choose your team is now!" Many students flocked to her and Todoroki, wanting to leech off their power for the win. Izuki ignored them, following her heart. Todoroki's hand reached out to her before she could escape the barrage of teens. He tentatively asked,

"Do you want to be on my team?" Izuki gave him a half-smile, retreating. He didn't need teammates as much as Bakugou, so she shook her head, declaring to truly befriend the boy at a later date.

She approached her temperamental friend with gliding steps. The eyes of several curious cowards marked her every move. Just as she came within range, Bakugou scooped her from the ground, backing her against the stadium's ring. He growled firmly.

"I don't like you, okay, but you're joining my team!" He ordered her, eyes flicking with slight paranoia. Izuki nodded, trying to tell him she'd be best piloting the head. He ignored her, glaring at the people of the stadium, who showed no signs of interest in joining his team. Izuki could understand; he wasn't exactly the best with _teamwork_.

Suddenly, a pink-haired girl covered in gadgets popped up from nowhere, smiling wide. She introduced herself as Hatsume Mei, a Support Course student. She ranted constantly about her babies, excitedly showing them off and saying she'd be the most reliable teammate. For some reason, Hatsume thought it'd be a good idea to start touching Bakugou. Izuki tried to warn her, but the bouncing-bubble of a girl did it anyway, earning herself flaming hair. Bakugou snarled at her violently.

"Piss off Clock-Head!" Hatsume shrugged, patting her hair, and looking curiously to Izuki. Izuki stood nonchalantly behind the flaming beast. The support student immediately galloped to Izuki's side, fondling her in appreciation. Izuki blushed furiously, freezing up. She shoved Hatsume off in a panic, backing away.

Bakugou appeared angered by Hatsume's forwardness as well, his face taking on a shade similar to Darth Vader's lightsaber. Hatsume must've saw his struggle, as she poked at him mockingly.

"I bet you'd let _her_ tough you, _wouldn't you_?" The mentioned girl blushed tomato-red while Bakugou balked. He gritted his teeth angrily, wanting to rip the annoying girl to pieces. His rage however, stayed in its cage, as Midnight told them to hurry with the teams. With less than a minute left, the heroes hardened their hearts, some quite literally, and prepared for the real challenge to begin.

**An: Btw, I'm sorry for the confusion(if you're confused), because my chapters went from nine to ten, back to nine, and now they're at ten again. It's because I updated it, deleted the poll, and then updated again. Thanks for reading, and here's a little something...**

**Monoma Neito: Phantom Thief ファントムシーフ**

**-His family is unknown, but I think of Itsuka Kendo as his older sister**

**-His quirk is Copy because he's a pompous brat and doesn't deserve anything "original"**

**-His eyes a deep, pensive blue, but sometimes they look lavender**

**-He has type A blood, which is the same as his personality**

**-He reminds me a lot of Togami from Danganronpa for some reason**

**-He is a student in Class 1-B**

**-He's probably my 2nd favorite character in the series**

**-He acts like a stereotypical gay seme **


	11. 11: Valiant Volitions

**Disclaimer: I don't own MHA/BNHA or its characters**

**An: I made it! It's officially the 1-year anniversary of Lethal Intent, though it's been longer than that if I count all the time it took to write the first draft. Anyways, I'm glad I made it this far! I'm finally to the Sports Festival. For a little prediction in how this story's gonna be... probably 32 chapters, but I plan to finish it before the 2-year anniversary, so yeah. Btw, it's late today because I got obsessed reading a bunch of BLs(don't judge, they're good), and I also started watching TWD. **

**What can I say, in the two days I gave myself to write this chapter, I read 5 completed BL comics, rewatched the Fairy Tail anime, started 2 other incomplete BLs, made it to S2, EP 4 of TWD, and read 3 Assassination Classroom fanfics. I'm an obsessive person. (I ended up writing this chapter within the last 2 hours) Well, now that my ranting is over, enjoy!**

**Chapter 11: Valiant Volitions **

Somehow, they'd gotten the amazing Yaoyorozu on their side. She controlled the right arm while Hatsume covered the left and defense. Bakugou shared the cockpit with Izuki. Izuki's hands twitched over the controls nervously, looking over the quirk-compatible device. Her leg started to fritz over the floor in a nervous rhythm. Bakugou reached over in annoyance, squeezing a little too tightly.

"Stop that." She nodded slowly, eyes wide and breath short. She couldn't help feeling on edge. The bell for the match's start finally rang, replacing her anxiety with adrenaline. Their seem activated the mech, exhaust from each team covering the arena in dramatic smokiness. Izuki kept a tiny bit of energy in her right hand, ready to fire at any moment.

Their mech was met with an onslaught of beginning attacks. The other teams all vied for the 10 million point crown. Izuki grinned, hurriedly pulling up pictures of past hero battles, so her braver personality could join the fray. She looked out her mech's main window, catching a glimpse of Todoroki's team. She winked at him playfully while Hatsume powered up their main boosters. Their mech rose into the air, and the others followed, creating something much like an air show.

The groups still on the ground fought each other for second place, grabbing whatever bonuses they could. To keep the fuel supply large, Yaoyorozu made extra gas, hers being a good enough quality to not only prevent environmental problems, but allow swifter movements. They spiralled down, but the other mech's didn't shake.

Apparently, Bakugou didn't think 10 million points was enough because he stole the competition's first points by slamming into one of Class 1-B's bots. Monoma, the team's leader, got pissed, icicle-blue gaze flickering toward their mech.

Anyway, the kid couldn't stay angry because time was more important, and theirs was running short. More mechs joined the air battle. Todoroki's group came right up from below, and the mecha showdown truly began.

...

One minute remaining and Izuki's partners were exhausted, but so were their chasers. Most of them had given up and were aiming just to squeeze into the next round. They continued in a slower version of the showdown. The audience was getting bored, and Bakugou was getting frustrated.

"We need more points! Why won't anyone attack us?" Izuki smiled at his eagerness. The group gave into Bakugou's greed as they knew he wouldn't simply give it up. Pulling away from him would mean one already slightly chaotic robot team would go haywire. They rocketed toward Todoroki's team again which consisted of Uraraka, Iida, and Sero. The half-cold half-hot leader shouted to Iida and they blasted away. Their team followed with a shield of Bakugou's rage.

"Get back here you bastard! You owe me those points!" Todoroki glanced over with a flat expression. He ordered another boost. Blast after blast left their engines aflame, and it stalled them momentarily. The mechs stood in frozen sync until their engines began again. Just as their metal clashed, another team came blasting in, pummeling the 10 million point mech endlessly while Todoroki's team was barreled into the arena's outer ring. Unfortunately for the newest mech combo, the time had run down. Tokoyami's team had been that shocking contender, and his group's successful finale landed them in second. That meant most of Class 1-B had failed, other than those on Shinsou's team, and the rest who made it past were from Class 1-A(Bakugou, Tokoyami, Todoroki's, and Shinsou's teams made into the finals). Izuki grinned. She'd have the opportunity to face her friends in battle.

**...**

Recovery Girl was glad that, for once, Izuki had come to her with only a few minor scratches. It was slightly surprising to see her wearing none other than a cheerleader costume. The Nurse shook away her judgement turning to the girl with a smile. She spoke, voice ringing with the true joy she felt every time a patient recovered.

"By the way dearie, there's no need to sign anymore." Izuki brightened cutely, hair sweeping over her chin. The movement reminded the hero just how much some children could resemble kittens.

"Your tongue's root nerves have attached back together, thanks to your continuous restraint." She turned serious as the girl began to leave.

"That doesn't mean you should go losing control again!" Izuki chuckled at her concern, impulsively signing back.

"I'll try."

...

As she left the infirmary, she passed the room of waiting students. Before she could greet them however, Todoroki pulled her aside. He stared her down seriously, slightly flustered by her current choice of clothes.

"I will win against you, Midoriya. I'll show my father that I can win even without his power." Izuki stared back in confusion, sweeping away her bangs. She hated having her hair down.

"Okay…" Todoroki continued after they reached a more secluded area, his tone turning sad.

"My father is a tyrant. He's not a hero. I will defy him by beating everyone with my mother's quirk." Izuki nodded to let him know she was there, and ready to listen.

"When I was younger, I overheard my mother talking on the phone about how each day I grew to look more and more like my father. She hated how I resembled him so much that she threw boiling water over half of my face." He paused, reaching to his cheek instinctively. Izuki listened carefully, face grim. His heterochromatic eyes flared with some type of determination. He wanted someone to know his story.

"Have you ever heard of quirk marriages?" Izuki nodded, not wanting to interrupt.

"My father searched for the strongest quirk to match his own, and he found my mom. _He didn't even love her_. He purposely chose her, so he could create a weapon, one that he could use to reach his ultimate goal. Since he knows he'll never be accepted as the number one hero, he's pushing that onto me." Todoroki glared at her now, defiance and passion, like she'd never seen from him, shining strong.

"I will win, and I won't ever be used by him again." Izuki let that sink in, but she didn't pity him. She knew what it was like, to suffer so deeply, so she knew exactly what he needed.

"I appreciate you sharing this with me, Todoroki, so I'll share something with you…" She hesitated, looking down. She let out a sorrowful sigh. Midnight was right, it didn't ever get easier.

"I have suffered from my quirk too. So much that I sometimes wish for a different one. Maybe then, _my dad would still be alive_. Then, I wouldn't have to face so much ridicule." Todoroki froze, looking at her expectantly. They shared a moment of silence and understanding.

"I'm the one who killed him. _I'm a murderer_." She let her emotions pile on her rival. She was glad, at least, not to be pitied. Izuki swapped his empathy out for envy with her next words, ringing with fire.

"But, unlike you, _I _don't let my past hold me back. _I've_ accepted the fact that it's my fault. _I_ realize the only thing I can do about it _has _to be done by _me_. That's why, instead of berading myself, I focus on helping others… I focus on _being a hero_." Izuki paused, green flames of passion in her gaze.

"I will beat you Todoroki. I won't just stand by while you take the title without even giving your all. Be ready, because I guarantee to use 100% of my power." The pair shook hands, making a silent pact, and separated.

...

"...And now, the girl that somehow possesses several personalities even though she's mute, Midoriya Izuki!" Waves of leaf-colored hair tangled dramatically through the air as she entered the stadium. She smirked at the ironic introduction. She was mute no longer. Of course, Shinsou didn't know that, so he thought he was entering a near-impossible match. They smiled at each other, sharing in anticipation, as Present Mic welcomed Shinsou.

"Here's Hitoshi Shinsou to face her with his unknown quirk and average capabilities, but hey, nobody's picking favorites _right_?" Izuki rolled her eyes at the MCs poor summary of her friend. They didn't know him like she did. Finally, they squared off, Aizawa's voice announcing the battle's start.

They circled each other warily. They knew almost everything about each other's quirks, so they watched for trickery. Shinsou noticed her change in poise, meaning she'd switched to her alternate personality. He built his resolve to face the adult-only version of Izuki. She darted in and bent his arm back so that he couldn't move without dislocating his shoulder. She then, much to his surprise, whispered in his ear.

" I like this look on you, Hitoshi ~ " He shivered, blushing vigorously. She detached from him, smirking like a maniac. Present Mic made a comment over the intercom.

"It appears Midoriya isn't mute after all! Now we're all curious, what could she have said to make such a guy loose his composure so easily?" Izuki chuckled. Shinsou pulled himself together, swatting away messy strands of hair. Izuki flipped forward and spun, her foot zipping past his nose. He had almost no time to dodge.

She kept persistently inward, pushing him back and closer to the elimination line. Shinsou didn't want to lose, so naturally, he blocked, doing his best to fight back. Her landed his first hit, tripping her onto the cement. The felled female did a sweep kick in retaliation, bringing him down with her. The two exchanged a series of scrambling attacks on the ground. It was like a cat fight if neither cat used claws. Izuki spiced it up with a special attack she'd never be able to use if it wasn't for Midnight. She grabbed the back of his head and pulled his face closer. Then, she kissed him.

Her quirk spread quicker through the thin skin on his lips. He blushed heavily, stopping all of his attacks. He was paralized in mind and body. But, he could still kiss back. Izuki's power easily wormed its way through his system, immobilizing him. She smiled at him playfully, pulling away while licking her lips.

Shinsou felt as if his blush would never disappear. He barely realized his loss. Instead, he waited for Izuki to resume her normal personality and acknowledge what she'd done. It wasn't fair that he was the only one enduring the insane thumping in his chest.

Izuki stood up and bowed to the resurrected crowd, who all wore some version of shock. Class 1-A's reactions were especially amusing. Mineta turned a lot of heads with his comment.

"I wish I'd faced her in a match." He looked creepily turned on by Izuki's forwardness, mouth dripping with drool. He got kicked in the balls for that.

After the match, Izuki was greeted with enthusiasm and congratulations on many things. Most congratulated her on the win, but her girlfriends teased her by saying things like, "nice kiss", or "are you gonna ask him out?" Their comments left her flustered. Another of her classmates celebrated her renewed ability to speak. She wasted no time in bringing back her old muttering habit. She barely paused long enough to wish her friends good luck in their battles.

The battles passed in a quick manner, boiling down to Uraraka and Bakugou's fight. Izuki noticed her anxiety and followed, concerned for her friend. She was eternally glad she did because her brunette friend clearly needed it. The hype-up from Iida and her seemed to help, since Uraraka entered the battlefield with her head held high.

**An: so yeah, now that I've made it this far expect it to be finished before this time next year. I'm kinda surprised I made it this far since usually I'm not invested enough in stories to write passed a few chapters(without it being rushed). Thanks a lot to all my supporters! Also, technically it's the 1-year anniversary of one of my other stories too, but I got lazy on the one(it's called SSS: The Elite members of HISS). Thanks for reading!**


	12. 12: Fighting Finale

**Disclaimer: I clearly don't own MHA/BNHA or its characters. **

**An: *long sigh* I've come to realize I don't have as much dedication for this story as I used to. I'll still finish, don't worry, but it may end up being shorter than planned. Blame it on my fast-paced obsessions. I've now started writing and reading a shitload of Harry Potter stuff. It was kind-of sporadic and random. I don't know what I'm doing with my life, but enjoy!**

**Chapter 12: Fighting Finale**

Bakugou didn't hold back in his battle against Uraraka, but when did he ever? To Uraraka it actually meant that he acknowledged her strength. Even though she lost, Uraraka adamentally thanked Bakugou for not holding back, and therefore allowing her to use the full extent of her powers. The only thing Bakugou could've said to that of course was,

"You're welcome." Present Mic wasn't as happy about that.

...

Sometime in the aftermath of her battle against Shinsou, Endeavor pulled her aside. She almost flipped out and went into a fangirl fit, but then her stomach turned. He was the asshole that had hurt Todoroki, and that's all she'd think of him as now. He talked as if he had something better to do.

"If you get Shouto to use all of his power, you can expect to be rewarded." She snorted and he pulled back, his great fire beard fizzing. She looked at him with pure, undiluted disgust. She let her revulsion of him show on her features. She spat out the first words that popped into her head.

"He isn't you, so stop trying to project yourself onto him!" The older Todoroki stepped back in surprise. Izuki clicked her tongue dismissively and spun on her heel. She walked away without any regrets.

...

Before she knew it, Izuki was standing across from Todoroki. He glanced to her and then to his father, glaring with spite. His expression was one of despise. Todoroki's deep hate of his father made her envious. She wished, once again, to have a father to hate. Pushing that thought into the deepest recesses of her mind, she tensed.

When the signal sound, two pairs of feet sprung forward. Ice immediately enveloped Izuki from head to toe. Todoroki walked around her frozen form, looking quite shocked. He hadn't expected it to end so quickly, and it wouldn't.

Izuki simultaneously activated her nerves, speeding their rate of fire. The sudden activity created friction between her and the ice. Without anything to defuse it, the heat melted through the cold. She was free in seconds.

Todoroki promptly shot another round of ice her way. She twirled through the air, using the icicle to anchor herself. She twisted with the propelling force and spun into a flip. Todoroki moved away, sending cold bullets like a machine gun. She dodged them each by using them as stepping stones. She looked down from where she was. The stadium was an ice rink.

Izuki continued her acrobatics, approaching her opponent in a series of cartwheels that merged with front flips. She kept her nerves firing at a fast rate so the friction could keep her warm and lessen any stray blows. She started to close in on Todoroki and smirked. He was trapped between the restriction line, the ice block he'd created, and Izuki.

Frost was collecting on his right side. His rebellious stage was his weakness. Her gaze narrowed as his dodges slowed. She snarled.

"You aren't going to beat me this way!" She'd encouraged a challenge, but it didn't have anything to do with his father. The men might have similar quirks, but they weren't anything alike. Todoroki defiantly pushed her back with another bout of coldness. Izuki increased the rate of her nerves further. Sure it was dangerous, but so were giant blue shards. She growled at him again.

"You're not your father, so stop being an idiot!" Todoroki's heterozygous eyes widened in comprehension. Flames burst up his arm in a flurry of red. The rage-filled light danced passionately orange over his body. With the ice reflecting every flicker, they were in hell.

Izuki began to lose ground as his fire licked the air. She thought desperately with her adrenaline-high brain. She flexed around his heat with awe-inspiring grace. As his fire lost its swell, he switched back to ice. The stall was just enough.

She performed a show-stopping feint by appearing to strike for his head, but instead making a full 360º to sweep him to the side. The emotionally split teen flew through the sky, landing with a thud inches from the elimination line. A simple groan was his downfall. His hand came back down on the other side, earning a shout from the MC.

"Midoriya is the winner!" The stadium filled with cheers, and Endeavor gave a knowingly wide smirk. He clapped irritatingly slow. He looked far too satisfied. Should could only guess he was thinking that his son had finally come out of his "phase". Man was he _wrong_. Did the dude seriously not remember what it was like to be a teenager? Whatever the case, Izuki ignored it. She went over to help the nurses with Todoroki, and followed after. Her quirk's side effects were beginning to kick in.

She started to feel dizzy, stumbling. She was caught unexpectedly by another teen. She looked up with blurring vision, and smiled. There was no mistaking those purple-colored eyes.

...

She woke up in a white bed feeling exhausted and sore. Shinsou sat on the edge with a worried expression. Well, the most worried he could look. Izuki sat up, and her "friend" extended a helping hand.

"Take it easy there, Captain Fatigue." She smiled slightly, taking advantage of the free service. Then, her face morphed with panic. Her memories came crashing down like an exploding helicopter.

"How long was I out? Did I miss Iida's match? Is Todoroki okay?" Her blurting wasn't in the best order. Shinsou chuckled and patted her patiently on the shoulder.

"Woah, calm down...you were only out for a few minutes. Todoroki's fine, he's in recovery surgery and–" Izuki cut him off, voice cracked with strain and concern.

"He's in surgery! I didn't do anything permanent, did I?" Shinsou smiled in reassurance, brushing aside a strand of messy violet hair.

"No, he just got a piece of concrete, or something, stuck under his skin. Recovery Girl can't heal him until it's out." Izuki relaxed, sighing into her bangs. She asked the next question on her schedule.

"So, _did_ I miss Iida's battle?" The indigo-haired teen reclined in his sterile hospital chair.

"Oh, well, you did miss that." Izuki looked down in shame. She'd wanted to be there for her friend.

"How'd he do?" Shinsou ruffled his hair out of habit, leaning in with a frown.

"He beat her, but he had to withdrawl from the Festival because of some sort of family issue." Izuki slumped, mad at herself. She had hoped to do something for Iida, but he wasn't here now. She resigned to at least visit Todoroki. It _was_ her fault he was hurt after all. With the aid of Shinsou, she hobbled to Todoroki's room. He looked up as she entered. His eyes were glossy from sedation. He mumbled out a slow question.

"Shouldn't you be preparing for your next fight?" Izuki shrugged, gaze flicking to the screen in the corner. She glimpsed a scene of Kirishima getting relentlessly pummeled by Bakugou. She shifted back to Todoroki.

"I don't fight until the finals." Todoroki nodded, the room falling into an awkward silence. Shinsou smashed the tension like brittle glass.

"Dude, you look like shit. Are you sure it was just a rock in there?" Izuki smiled at her friend on the gurney. He chuckled wryly, peering at the stranger by his bed.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Recovery Girl uses your own energy for repairs, so I'm tired." He glanced at Izuki.

"I should still be able to watch your match though." His face reverted to its usual serious composure. Shinsou clapped once for attention and gestured to the TV. The declaration, **Bakugou beat Tokoyami and Kirishima, will he keep his streak?** Scrolled over the display. Shinsou piped up.

"That's our cue to leave!" He slapped Todoroki roughly on the back as if he'd known the guy for years. They shuffled to depart, and the zombie boy shouted one last phrase.

"Have fun imitating a cadaver!"

...

Lats squared, quads tense, muscles tightened, Izuki awaited her dreadful doom. Sure, she had the support of nearly every member of the audience, but that didn't lessen the pressure on her nerves.

Facing the unfavoured Bakugou, she plastered on a confident expression. She knew he wouldn't restrain himself against her. She knew her body was about to endure a horrendous mental and physical challenge. All she could do was hope that her grinning mask would become reality.

Bakugou wore his usual prideful smirk, and his eyes were sparking crimson. His jaw worked and his hair stood on end. He watched, ready for a tense, unyielding battle. And the bell sounded.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, like a pouncing lion, Bakugou adjusted his golden mane and leapt forward in a graceful arc. Izuki rolled to the side and blinked. She'd expected to be sweating right off the bat, but she dodged with surprising ease. Their polar moods while battling emphasized the important match. The crowd was silent with anxiety. The battling paradox worked on.

Another speedy attack from Bakugou sent her into a spiraling cartwheel. She brought her legs forward quickly into a flip. The position opened up her control and flexibility. She moved around the stadium like the lioness.

Bakugou's anger was his tragic flaw. It made his explosions strong, but wild. He however, wasn't dumb. His strategic skills went into play as he brought both hands into the fight. Izuki could only focus on so much. She wasn't fast enough.

Bakugou struck her with a blast to the abdomen. Izuki's movements turned jerky. Her moving frame, luckily, kept him from being a constantly burning flame. She realized with a start that she'd have to face Bakugou head on.

Rocking on her heels, Izuki darted under his arms, grabbing at anything she could. He struggled against her and the fight switched to close-combat. His elbow swooped just past her neck, and she rolled, sweep kicking his ankle. Her wobbled slightly but had a weight advantage. Soon, he was on top of her, grinning. His palm inched periodically closer to her spine. She stilled, knowing a struggle wouldn't be much help. She picked her brain for something that could get her out.

Freeing one hand, she pulled him closer. Proximity could be distracting. Midnight taught her that. Then, closing her eyes and steeling herself, she slammed her forehead into his brow. He cursed, instinctively letting up on his hold. She smirked, digging her knee into his gut and breaking out. She wasted no time in grabbing his wrists. He looked her angrily in the eyes as his veins turned black. Her grin faltered. Flashes of memory broke through: a smile turned sour, the bones of her father, ashes. She pulled back just in time as Bakugou began to gape. He never knew when to quit.

She apologized to him mentally in advance, and punched him in the neck. It was the only way he'd submit to unconsciousness. It was the only way he'd accept help. Then, when he disappeared from sight, she could finally breathe. She wanted to scream, but she didn't. She frowned, bile rising in her throat. She hated herself, because apparently one murder wasn't enough.

**An: Whoo, sooooo many battles. I don't know how good(or bad) I am at battle scenes, but I tried. At least I didn't time skip them, mostly. I do try. Here's this, and thanks for reading!**

**Amajiki Tamaki: Suneater ****サンイーター**

**-IDK anything about his family**

**-His quirk is Manifest, so his name doesn't really make sense(like why?)**

**-He has both indigo colored hair and eyes, but it's more of a dark blue**

**-He has type AB blood, which is mysterious and rare like him**

**-He's the cutest as a child**

**-He is a part of the Big Three**

**-He reminds me a little of Sasuke because of how he acts in the manga(and how he looks)**

**-He's an e-boy 100%**


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